3.sr  3/ 


LIBRARY  OF  THE  THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY 


PRINCETON,    N.    J. 


Purchased  by  the 
Mrs.  Robert  Lenox  Kennedy  Church   History  Fund. 


Division...xj.X...C^  C>  »*J) 
Section. ...k.LX...S.  OO 


BAHAI 

THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  AGE 


.\ppr0ved  by 

Bahai  Committee   on    Publications 

1921 


Abdul  Baha 
The  Servant  of  God 


x^' 


^^iWTfiiSc^ 


B      A      H      A      l^GIC^LSl*^ 

The    Spirit   of  the  Age 


BY 


./ 


HORACE  HOLLEY 


NEW    YORK 

BRENT  ANO'S 

Publishers 


COPYRIGHT,    1921,    BY 

BRENTANO'S 


All  rights  reserved 


Made  in  the  United  States  of  America 


CONTENTS 

Frontispiece  —  Abdul  Baha 

Introduction vii 

Part  1 1 

The  Cosmic  Trinity 3 

The  Bahai  Message  to   Christianity 74 

The  Bahai  Message  to  Judaism 88 

The  Bahai  Message  to  Science Ill 

The  Bahai  Message  to  Politics  and  Economics.  . . .  125 
The  Bahai  Message  to  Christian  Science  and  New 

Thought 139 

The  Bahai  Message  to  Theosophy 146 

Part  2 153 

The  Spirit  of  the  Age 155 

Illustration  —  The   Bahai   Temple 

The  Bahai  Temple 1 76 

Part  3 189 

Two  Bahai  Documents 191 

Constructive  Reading  List 202 


*'Say,  the  fecundation  of  Bounty  has  been  wafted  over  all 
things  in  this  day  and  everything  has  generated  and  brought 
forth  its  own  kind,  but  verily  the  majority  of  the  people  have 
turned  away  from  it  —  the  trees  bring  forth  the  beautiful 
fruit;  the  seas,  the  brilliant  jewels;  man,  knowledge  and 
science;  the  universe,  the  Transfiguration  of  the  Merciful; 
and  the  earth,  that  which  no  one  comprehendeth  save  the 
True  One,  the  knower  of  secrets  and  unseen  things/' 

—  Baha'o'llah. 


INTRODUCTION 

The  new  translation  of  an  ancient  classic  con- 
tains one  very  significant  change.  A  prophetic  pas- 
sage formerly  interpreted  "the  end  of  the  world" 
reads  now  "the  end  of  the  age." 

In  this  sense,  the  world  has  indeed  come  to  an 
end  in  our  day  —  the  foundations  of  a  new  age,  a 
new  civilization,  a  new  science  and  a  new  faith  have 
visibly  been  laid.  The  inspiration  of  this  new  age, 
for  many  people  in  all  parts  of  the  world,  has  one 
source,  one  password,  one  mystery:  the  name  Bahai. 

The  word  Bahai  is  like  a  jewel  with  many  facets, 
a  fountain  with  many  pitchers,  a  mansion  with  many 
rooms. 

For  some,  it  means  a  set  of  principles  necessary 
for  the  peace  of  the  world,  for  economic  stability, 
for  the  true  progress  of  the  sciences  and  the  arts. 

For  others,  Bahai  means  the  privilege  of  belong- 
ing to  an  active  movement  already  spread  through- 
out the  United  States,  Canada,  Europe  and  large 
portions  of  the  East;  a  movement  spreading  the 
ideals  of  fellowship  and  service  irrespective  of  race, 
creed,  nationality  and  class. 

Still  others  feel  in  the  word  Bahai  the  reality, 
the  consummation  of  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount,  the 
return  of  the  Divine  Love  for  the  purpose  of  rais- 

•  • 

vu 


viii  INTRODUCTION 

ing  mankind  from  its  animal  condition  to  the  level 
of  conscious  spirituality. 

Behind  this  word  for  many  there  stands  also  a 
glorious  Presence,  a  Divine  Being  whose  title  this 
word  is :  The  Glory  of  God.  These  persons  feel  this 
Presence  as  the  controlling  force  behind  every 
event  of  this  time.  Thus  is  Bahai  the  cause  of  a 
new  spirit  of  reverence  and  devotion,  written  as  it 
is  upon  a  Bible,  a  World  Bible,  revealed  in  cosmic 
utterances  which  gather  together  those  who  seem 
to  be  a  nucleus  of  the  future,  spiritual  race. 

Still  others,  having  heard  Abdul  Baha  during 
his  travels  through  Europe  and  America  immedi- 
ately preceding  the  War,  see  the  word  Bahai  in 
terms  of  his  wisdom,  his  graciousness,  his  untiring 
efforts  to  awaken  the  slumbering  soul  to  realize  the 
opportunities  and  responsibilities  of  life  in  this  age. 

Behind  this  word  Bahai,  finally,  there  is  one  of 
the  most  astonishing  chapters  History  has  ever  had 
occasion  to  record.  From  its  beginnings  in  the 
glorious  Babi  martyrdoms  which  occurred  in  Persia 
only  about  eighty  years  ago ;  to  that  forty-year  exile 
and  imprisonment  suffered  by  Baha'o'llah  and 
Abdul  Baha,  with  seventy  faithful  followers;  wit- 
nessing then  the  renaissance  of  the  Holy  Land  as 
the  "Mount  of  Revelation,"  and  arriving  at  the 
present  hour  with  Abdul  Baha's  unique  mission 
made  fruitful  by  the  commencement  of  work  on 
the  Bahai  Temple  at  Chicago,  by  the  deeper  com- 
prehension of  the  meaning  of  this  Cause  awakened 


INTRODUCTION  ix 

by  the  nationwide  journey  of  the  "Great  Teacher," 
Jenabe  Fazel  Mazandarani,  and  the  rapid  spread 
of  the  Bahai  JMessage  throughout  the  East  —  the 
historic  importance  of  these  events  can  only  be 
judged  at  some  later  date,  when  from  this  seed  the 
fruitful  tree  shall  have  grown  to  its  maturity. 

It  is  to  serve  as  a  gateway  opening  to  some  of 
these  meanings  of  the  word  Bahai  that  this  book 
has  been  prepared. 

The  first  part,  The  Cosmic  Trinity,  deals  with 
the  source  of  Bahaism  in  its  three  founders;  en- 
deavoring to  present  them  in  the  light  of  their  own 
interpretations.  The  brief  chapters  concluding 
this  first  part  have  special  references  to  the  rela- 
tion of  Bahaism  to  some  established  body  of  opinion, 
such  as  Christianity,  Judaism,  Christian  Science, 
Theosophy,  and  to  current  problems  under  the 
head  of  Science,  Politics  and  Economics. 

Part  two  is  a  compilation  from  the  utterances  of 
Baha'o'llah  and  Abdul  Baha,  selected  from  every 
possible  source,  many  unpublished  manuscripts 
being  quoted,  the  intention  being  to  bring  together 
in  one  convenient  compass  a  sequence  of  their  au- 
thentic words  which  would  permit  the  reader  to 
judge  of  this  Bahai  Teaching,  or  Principles,  for 
himself. 

A  chapter  on  the  significance  of  the  Bahai  Tem- 
ple now  being  constructed  at  Chicago  as  the  true 
visible  representation  of  the  Bahai  Movement  — 
its  spirit  of  unity,  and  its  equal  insistence  upon 


X  INTRODUCTION 

Science  and  Religion  —  was  added  to  this  part  in- 
asmuch as  the  Temple  has  been  partially  described 
in  the  public  press  of  Europe  as  well  as  America, 
and  much  interest  in  this  feature  of  Bahaism 
thereby  aroused. 

Part  three  contains  two  important  Bahai  docu- 
ments: Abdul  Baha's  address  on  the  power  of 
Meditation  before  the  Society  of  the  Friends,  St. 
Martin's  Lane,  London;  and  his  Commune  to  be 
read  by  the  Bahais  of  Persia  during  the  War.  This 
latter,  penetrating  to  the  very  depths  of  the  world's 
state  of  mind  in  these  days,  sounds  a  note  of  solemn 
power  and  agony  which  is  the  very  crucifixion  of 
the  cosmic  consciousness  imder  the  animal  impulses. 

In  conclusion,  a  Reading  List  is  added  which 
includes  all  books  known  to  the  author  as  being 
strictly  Bahai  in  origin  or  theme.  Every  effort 
has  been  made  to  render  the  present  work  useful 
for  the  reader  desiring  to  understand  Bahaism. 
Baha'o'llah  and  Abdul  Baha  are  quoted  as  fre- 
quently as  possible  throughout,  and  these  quota- 
tions were  selected  in  order  to  present  the  Bahai 
answer  to  as  many  as  possible  of  the  world's  major 
problems  and  interests. 

This  book,  however,  is  presented  merely  as  a 
gateway  to  the  Bahai  Teaching  or  Message.  In 
no  sense  should  it  be  considered  an  "authoritative 
interpretation"  of  Bahaism,  since  Abdul  Baha's 
own  life  and  words  are  solely  and  entirely  that. 
To  tell  something  of  the  new,  creative  Word;  to 


INTRODUCTION  xi 

mention  the  Speaker  of  the  Word;  to  present 
merely  that  preliminary  statement  by  which  the 
reader  shall  be  enabled  to  investigate  the  reality 
for  himself  —  this  is  my  only  purpose  and  aim. 

"7  declare  hy  the  Ocean  of  the  Godly  Knowledge  that  a 
moment  in  these  days  is  more  excellent  than  past  centuries 
and  ages;  to  this  heareth  witness  your  Lord,  the  Chooser,  in 
the  Station  of  Generosity.  Be  kindled  by  this  fire  which  is 
burning  in  the  world,  that  through  thee  whosoever  is  in  this 
earth  shall  be  enkindled.  Think  not  that  it  is  a  fire,  rather 
it  is  a  Light,  and  its  traces  shall  surround  whosoever  is  in  all 
countries  and  regions.  Of  what  use  is  a  life  that  is  ruled  by 
death,  or  a  duration  which  vanisheth,  or  a  grace  that  changeth? 
To-day  let  every  soul  desire  to  attain  the  highest  station.  He 
must  not  regard  what  is  in  himself  but  what  is  in  God.  It  is 
not  for  him  to  regard  what  shall  advantage  himself,  hut  that 
whereby  the  Word  of  God,  which  must  be  obeyed,  shall  he 
upraised."  —  Baha'o'llah. 

Thus,  in  no  uncertain  tones,  does  Bahaism  ad- 
dress the  modern  mind  and  heart.  Already  has 
this  Cause  made  History  enough  to  assure  us  that 
men  shall  be  whole  heartedly  for  it  —  as  for  the 
whole  meaning  of  life ;  or  whole  heartedly  against 
it  —  as  against  that  which  strikes  at  the  roots  of 
senseless  inertia  as  well  as  conscious  reaction  in  all 

their  subtlest  forms. 

Horace  Holley. 

New  York  City, 

January  22,  1921. 


PART  I 


THE  COSMIC  TRINITY 


"With  the  name  of  this  Day  Thou  hast  adorned  Thy 
Tablet,  which  is  known  only  to  Thee.  Thou  hast  called  it 
The  Day  of  God.  Nothing  is  to  be  seen  therein  but  Thy 
Supreme  Self,  and  naught  is  to  be  remembered  save  Thy 
sweetest  Name."  —  Baha'o'llah. 

It  has  become  only  too  evident  that  the  past  eighty 
years  or  so  have  not  only  effected  a  complete  change 
in  the  physical  life  of  man,  but  likewise  have  pro- 
duced a  mighty  transformation  in  the  world  of 
consciousness. 

Each  of  our  material  inventions  can  be  paralleled 
by  a  corresponding  change  in  our  way  of  thinking — 
each  of  our  scientific  discoveries  can  be  shown  to  cor- 
respond to  some  discovery  bringing  renewal  upon 
the  plane  of  mind.  If  astronomy  has  emerged  into 
the  clear  light  of  truth,  so  also  has  the  true  astrology 
reappeared  in  view.  If  medicine  and  surgery  have 
been  enlarged  tremendously,  so  have  been  enlarged 
tremendously  the  claims  of  alchemy  and  occultism. 
If  history  has  opened  out  so  as  to  include  in  one 
point  of  view  the  entire  biological  and  geological 
record  of  life,  so  has  Theosophy  restored  the  knowl- 
edge of  even  greater  spiritual  cycles.     If  the  theory 

8 


4,  BAHAI 

has  been  established  that  mankind  in  all  parts  of  the 
world  derives  from  a  common  monkey  ancestor,  so 
has  the  fact  been  established  that  in  every  portion 
of  the  race  there  have  arisen  mystics  who  derived 
the  likeness  of  man  from  God.  Where  on  the  one 
hand  we  have  a  new  instinct  to  restudy  the  words 
of  Christ,  or  Mohamet  or  Buddha,  there  on  the  other 
hand  we  have  an  equal  degree  of  interest  in  the 
teachings  of  Pythagoras,  Hermes,  Paracelsus.  Side 
by  side  with  the  miracles  of  submarine,  automobile 
and  aeroplane,  stand  the  miracles  of  Spiritualism, 
Psychic  Research,  New  Thought. 

Daylight  has  da^vned  upon  the  consciousness  of 
man. 

But  if  to  each  one  of  us  some  new  and  absorbing 
interest  has  been  revealed  by  that  sudden  daybreak 
— some  new  conception  of  the  further  possibilities 
inherent  in  the  nature  of  machinery,  finance,  trade, 
political  organization,  art,  science,  philosophy,  re- 
ligion or  occultism — no  less  obviously  has  that  unex- 
pected mental  and  social  expansion  blinded  us  to  the 
nature  of  that  new  conscious  universe  as  a  whole  in 
which  our  own  mental  citizenship  forms  so  infinites- 
imal a  part.  Thus  we  have  lost  what  appears  the 
very  greatest  significance  of  the  day  in  which  we 
live — the  fact  that,  as  matters  at  least  temporarily 
seem  to  be,  absolutely  everything  in  this  amazing 
modern  world  cancels  out.  That  is,  if  what  we  con- 
sider a  "good"  has  been  immensely  reinforced,  its 
contrary  or  "evil"  has  been  reinforced  to  the  same 


THE  COSMIC  TRINITY  6 

extent.  Positive  and  negative  remain  exactly  where 
they  were.  Doubt  and  faith  remain  exactly  where 
they  were.  The  fact,  or  issue,  or  tendency  that 
confirms  you  today  will  probably  deny  you  to- 
morrow. 

In  very  truth,  no  form  of  thought,  belief,  practise 
or  feeling  has  ever  existed  anywhere  or  any  time  in 
the  world  but  its  equivalent  stands  among  us  now — 
all  the  gods,  and  all  the  worshippers  of  the  gods, 
return  to  this  strange  time! 

So  it  is  impressed  upon  every  sincere  person  more 
and  more  that  the  essence  of  life  at  the  present  hour 
is  just  this  simple  but  overwhelming  fact:  we  all 
must  make  a  decision. 

The  masquerade  of  events  grows  too  serious  for 
either  thoughtless  indifference  or  blind  acceptance. 
Just  as  our  national  and  economic  and  hygienic 
boundaries  no  longer  shut  out  the  forces  of  oppo- 
sition, so  are  our  mental  and  moral  boundaries  con- 
stantly being  overrun.  The  easy  way  all  along 
through  History  has  been  to  stand  inside  some  ac- 
customed frontier  and  fight  for  it  to  the  bitter  end. 
But  today,  the  frontiers  cross  and  recross,  before  us 
and  behind. 

We  must  make  a  decision.  And  it  is  no  longer 
possible  to  decide  merely  as  between  nations  or 
economic  classes  or  formal  doctrines — the  decision 
toward  which  the  whole  force  of  the  world  impetu- 
ously tends  is  a  decision  about  the  nature  of  life — 
about  the  nature  of  the  very  universe  through  which 


6  BAHAI 

we  pass,  from  which  we  came,  and  to  which  we  all 
return. 

Thus,  here  and  there  people  are  beginning  to  look 
up  from  the  narrow  traditional  path  with  which  they 
have  been  satisfied,  and  to  wonder  whether  or  not  all 
these  separate,  narrow  paths  have  a  common  meet- 
ing place.  We  are  discovering  at  last  that  the 
nature  of  the  universe  will  never  be  revealed  simply 
by  adding  together  more  new  facts.  Already  we 
have  too  many  facts — facts  which  are  irreconcilable 
one  with  another,  facts  crying  out  for  an  interpreta- 
tion depending  upon  what  we  decide  about  the 
nature  of  the  Whole.  IMankind,  in  the  same  way, 
will  never  be  understood  through  more  study  of 
men, — but  all  men  are  baffled  and  thwarted  for  lack 
of  some  mutual  realization  about  man. 

Whence  is  this  common  realization  to  appear? 
My  idea  cannot  satisfy  you,  even  if  I  could  impose 
it  upon  you.  Nor  could  your  idea  justify  my 
existence,  even  if  I  were  compelled  to  accept  it. 

Our  personal  will,  Imowledge  and  love  are 
proven  inadequate.  Yet  clearly,  if  there  were  a 
cosmic  Will,  it  would  will  one  thing  through  all 
of  us  and  not  many  conflicting  things.  If  there 
were  a  cosmic  Knowledge,  it  would  explain  all 
forms  of  human  belief.  If  there  were  a  cosmic 
Love,  it  would  reconcile  all  our  discordance.  And 
how  can  that  inevitable  decision,  which  we  are 
rapidly  being  forced  to  make,  be  aught  but  the 
choice  between  personal  wills,  personal  truths  or 


THE  COSMIC  TRINITY  7 

personal  emotions  unless  it  is  a  decision  in  the  light 
of  cosmic  Will,  cosmic  Knowledge,  cosmic  Love? 

That  decision,  at  any  rate,  must  be  on  the  plane 
of  consciousness  rather  than  upon  the  plane  of 
material  form. 

Now  what  blinds  us  on  the  plane  of  conscious- 
ness will  correspond  to  what  blinds  us  on  the  physi- 
cal plane.  The  thing  that  blinds  us  on  the  physical 
plane  is  clearly  enough  the  human  body  —  the 
separation  of  man  from  man  in  isolated,  self- 
attached  bodily  organisms.  For  as  the  body  of  the 
mystic,  say,  is  quite  distinct  from  the  body  of  a 
scientist,  and  as  the  body  of  a  German,  say,  is 
quite  foreign  to  that  of  an  Englishman,  their  souls 
appear  also  to  have,  in  consequence,  quite  separate 
destinies. 

But  what  corresponds  to  the  human  body  on  the 
plane  of  mind?  Clearly,  it  is  language.  Language 
is  the  vehicle  of  thought  just  as  the  body  is  the 
vehicle  of  the  conscious  thinker.  Therefore  it  may 
easily  be  that  the  Christian  stands  apart  from  the 
Buddhist,  and  the  mystic  from  the  scientist,  largely 
because  each  of  them  employs  a  different  form  of 
expression,  a  different  vehicle  or  body  of  thought. 
We  look  into  the  mirror  and  expect  to  behold  our 
own  image.  But  if  the  mirror  is  ever  so  slightly 
warped,  the  image  we  behold  is  far  from  our  image, 
and  we  instantly  recoil. 

Is  not  language  exactly  like  that?  Does  not  a 
new,  or  alien  form  of  expression  reflect  back  to  us 


8  BAHAI 

a  thought  image  apparently  not  our  own?  Do  we 
not  behold  constantly,  as  strange  bodies  of  thought, 
expressions  which  may  possibly  be  our  own  — 
would  undeniably  be  our  own  if  the  mirror  of  lan- 
guage were  a  true  mirror? 

The  scientist  looks  into  the  physical  mirror  ex- 
pecting to  behold  a  scientist.  He  meets  an  artist 
or  a  mystic  expecting  to  find  a  person  quite  differ- 
ent from  a  scientist.  But  why  does  he  expect  to 
meet  a  person  quite  different  from  himself?  Is  it 
not  because  our  spiritual  realities  —  that  of  which 
thought  and  language  are  but  the  body  —  reflect 
back  and  forth  to  each  other  in  a  warped  mirror? 

While  art  and  science,  for  example,  differ  so 
much  in  the  outward  form  they  assume  —  one 
creating  a  picture,  the  other  creating  a  formula  — 
do  they  actually  differ  so  much  as  modes  of  con- 
sciousness? Who  can  tell?  Only  he  can  con- 
clusively tell  who  in  himself  is  both  artist  and 
scientist.  Such  a  person,  looking  into  the  mirror 
of  thought,  would  behold  as  one  body  that  which  we 
others  behold  as  two  separate  bodies.  Such  a  per- 
son would  surely  realize  and  accept  as  a  matter  of 
course  this  fact  —  that  the  picture  is  itself  a  true 
formula,  the  formula  is  itself  a  true  picture!  Thus 
could  he  serve  as  interpreter  between  all  artists 
and  scientists  —  as  a  spiritual  banker,  so  to  speak, 
able  to  give  to  each  type  of  person  credit  which 
that  type  could  spend  in  the  other's  spiritual  city. 

Today  —  it  bears  repeating  —  today  the  differ- 


THE  COSMIC  TRINITY  9 

ence  in  our  various  terminologies  has  raised  up 
upon  the  plane  of  consciousness  those  same  fron- 
tiers which  physically  divide  people  off  into  war- 
ring nations  and  bitterly  hostile  classes.  We  have 
projected  the  physical  law  of  isolated,  bodily  self 
upon  the  country  of  the  mmd,  with  the  result  that 
one  scarcely  ever  meets  a  person  with  whom  one 
can  exchange  spiritual  experience  freely  and 
frankly,  and  thereby  become  consciously  enriched. 
Instinctively  shutting  ourselves  off  from  all  groups 
who  employ  a  strange,  unaccustomed  terminology, 
we  close  ourselves  to  whatever  spiritual  experience 
they  possess  as  though  the  experience  were  neces- 
sarily as  foreign  as  its  expression. 

The  man  of  today,  on  account  of  this  one  simple 
fact,  is  spiritually  speaking  no  better  than  a  cave 
man  defending  his  few  miserable  possessions  from 
other  cave  men  just  as  miserable  as  he. 

For  let  us  no  longer  be  deceived  by  the  apparent 
community  existing  between  people  who  accept  the 
same  terminology,  who  are  members  of  the  same 
organized  group  —  Socialism,  Christian  Science, 
Catholicism,  etc.  The  direct  result  of  repudiating 
all  other  terminologies  than  our  own  is  that  we 
are  absolutely  blinded  to  the  real  significance  of 
our  own  terminology.  Accepting  terminology  as 
the  one  important  distinction,  we  cease  thinking 
just  as  soon  as  that  matter  of  terminology  has  been 
settled.  Thus  merely  because  a  group  is  using  the 
terms  of  Socialism,  the  members  of  that  group 


10  BAHAI 

accept  each  other  as  equals.  Catholics  accept  each 
other  as  equals.  Yet  the  plain  fact  is  that  in  any 
of  these  large  organized  groups  there  is  as  much 
spiritual  difference  between  the  members  as  there 
is  physical  difference  between  the  serpent  and  the 
dove,  the  lion  and  the  lamb.  The  prophecy  that 
the  "lion  and  the  lamb  will  lie  down  together"  has 
certainly  been  fulfilled!  The  lion  and  the  lamb 
are  lying  peaceably  together  —  for  the  lamb  thinks 
the  lion  is  a  lamb,  and  the  lion  thinks  the  lamb  is  a 
lion!  Conversely,  the  *'dove"  among  the  Socialists 
is  unable  to  recognize  the  *'dove"  among  the  Chris- 
tian Scientists  or  the  Catholics;  and  the  "serpent" 
among  the  Catholics  is  unable  to  recognize  the 
"serpent"  among  any  other  group. 

This  astonishing  fact  exists  simply  because,  on 
the  plane  of  consciousness,  we  apparently  have  to 
use  "subjective"  words.  And  a  subjective  word 
mirrors  back  its  own  image  of  concept  or  feeling  to 
the  speaker,  but  to  the  hearer  only  the  back  of  the 
mirror,  as  it  were,  is  shown. 

Now  let  us  return  for  a  moment  to  the  idea  of 
the  man  who  is  both  artist  and  scientist.  Such  a 
man,  as  remarked,  could  well  serve  as  interpreter 
between  all  artists  and  scientists.  He  could  ex- 
plain to  the  scientists  that  their  formulas  are  ac- 
curate subjective  pictures  of  the  universe.  He 
could  explain  to  the  artists  that  their  pictures  are 
accurate  objective  formulas  of  the  universe.  He 
could  make  it  clear  that  art,  as  intuition,  enters 


THE  COSMIC  TRINITY  11 

into  all  true  science;  and  that  science,  as  clear 
logic,  enters  into  all  true  art. 

But  such  a  twofold  man  could  accomplish  his 
object  of  serving  these  other  onefold  men  only  if 
he  succeeded  in  finding  a  termmology,  a  body  of 
thought,  which  each  would  recognize  and  accept 
as  his  o^vn  thought  body.  For  if  he  merely  talked 
*'art"  to  the  scientists,  they  would  reject  him  as 
too  imaginative;  and  if  he  merely  talked  ''science" 
to  the  artists,  they  would  reject  him  as  too  unfeel- 
ing and  too  impersonal. 

Now  it  has  already  been  remarked  that  *' day- 
light has  dawned  upon  the  consciousness  of  man." 

But  what  happens  when  physical  daylight 
dawns?  We  instantly  grow  aware  of  all  the 
things  that  the  light  reveals.  We  begin  dealing 
with  these  things  —  the  last  thing  we  think  of  is 
the  light  itself  —  the  revealer  of  the  things.  And 
so  it  has  been  wdth  this  spiritual  sunrising.  We 
have  become  aware  of  innumerable  interesting  and 
significant  things  in  the  mental  world  —  so  aware 
of  these  that  we  have  not  paused  a  single  moment 
to  consider  what  the  source  of  this  spiritual  light 
may  be,  nor  the  real  nature  of  the  light  itself. 

One  of  the  more  obvious  matters  we  seem  to  have 
overlooked  is  this:  that  today,  for  the  first  time 
in  recorded  History,  people  all  over  the  world  pos- 
sess one  and  the  same  cosmic  symbolism.  For  the 
first  time  we  have  a  fit  vehicle  to  convey  ideas  from 
one  to  another  mind.    For  the  first  time  we  have 


12  BAHAI 

access  to  one  and  the  same  series  of  universal  facts. 

The  fact  that  we  know  the  earth  turns  around 
the  sun  —  that  light  is  an  etheric  vibration,  while 
sound  is  atmospheric  vibration  —  the  fact  that 
mathematics,  astronomy,  chemistry  and  the  other 
objective  sciences  are  very  generally  distributed  — 
gives  us  an  indescribable  advantage  over  any  i)revi- 
ous  generation.  Let  us  realize  this.  Let  us  real- 
ize that  the  fight  for  these  objective  sciences  has 
been  every  single  bit  as  difficult,  as  dangerous  and 
as  loyally  supported  as  the  struggle  for  religious 
truth.  Let  us  stop  for  a  moment  and  appreciate 
why  and  how  it  is  that  * 'cosmic  consciousness"  did 
not  come  to  the  race  until  the  race  had  created 
cosmic  symbols  — until  the  race  had  created  a  body 
of  truth  fit  for  the  spirit  of  truth  to  occupy,  ani- 
mate and  inspire ! 

Go  back  in  your  thought  to  the  founder  of  any 
of  the  world's  great  religions.  What  symbolism 
was  Christ,  for  example,  absolutely  compelled  to 
employ?  Compelled  to  employ  on  account  of  the 
ignorance  of  the  time?  He  was  compelled  to 
employ  the  symbolism  of  personal  or  group  experi- 
ence. He  spoke  of  God  as  the  "Father,"  of  him- 
self as  the  "Son."  Now  in  those  days  the  word 
Father  meant  much  more  than  it  does  now.  The 
patriarchal  Father  was  much  more  than  the  family 
father  of  today.  The  patriarchal  Father  was  a 
King,  a  Commander,  a  Priest,  a  Teacher.  There- 
fore when  Christ  spoke  of  God  as  the  "Father,"  he 


THE  COSMIC  TRINITY  13 

used  the  symbol  which  to  his  hearers  conveyed  the 
very  maximum  effect  of  power,  authority  and  re- 
sponsibility which  they  were  capable  of  imagining. 
But  the  word  Father  conveys  nothing  of  this  power, 
authority  and  responsibility  to  us  at  the  present 
time.  Nor  do  we  appreciate  what  Christ  meant  by 
the  "Son."  The  Son  of  the  patriarchal  Father 
was  the  heir  of  all  that  authority  —  and  only  one 
Son,  the  eldest  Son,  could  be  heir. 

Therefore  the  terminology  Christ  was  compelled 
to  employ  is  a  terminology  which  limits  our  modern 
idea  of  Gk)d  on  all  sides.  That  terminology  —  to 
take  only  one  example  —  seems  to  preclude  the  pos- 
sibility of  there  being  more  than  one  Christ,  or 
Messiah,  or  Saviour.  Moreover,  with  our  new  and 
cosmic  understanding  of  the  universe,  the  idea  of 
its  Creator  is  simply  impossible  to  accept  under  the 
personal  aspect  of  the  * 'Father." 

The  very  slightest  comprehension  of  History 
shows  us  that  the  Christ  type,  manifesting  the  same 
effect,  the  same  method,  the  same  influence,  the 
same  authority  and  consequently  the  same  purpose 
and  reality,  has  existed  in  other  races  at  other  times. 
Only  reflect  that  modern  European  civilization  de- 
rived most  of  its  sciences  and  refinements  from  the 
Moslems  who  themselves  were  raised  by  Mohamet 
from  the  worst  possible  savagery  to  the  utmost  de- 
gree of  cultivation,  and  you  will  begin  to  appreciate 
how  decisive  right  along  this  matter  of  terminology 
has  been.    The  physical  body  of  Mohamet  was  dif- 


14  BAHAI 

f erent  from  the  physical  body  of  Christ  —  his  ter- 
minology, or  body  of  mental  expression,  was  also 
different  —  therefore  we  have  spoken  of  Christian- 
ity and  Mohammedanism  as  two  separate  "  relig- 
ions"—  two  values  which  it  would  be  utterly  im- 
possible for  the  same  person  to  accept  at  the  same 
time.  Two  bodies,  says  geometry,  cannot  occupy 
the  same  space  at  the  same  time.  If  religion  is 
simply  a  body,  then  that  same  law  holds  true  on 
the  plane  of  consciousness.  But  suppose  that  re- 
ligion is  a  spirit  —  cannot  that  Spirit  descend  upon 
two  or  many  different  beings,  to  use  them  all  as  suc- 
cessive instruments  in  the  accomplishment  of  one 
inclusive  Cosmic  Purpose?  Cannot  Moses,  Christ 
and  IMohamet  be  regarded  as  successive  steps,  as  it 
were,  which  enable  the  race  to  ascend  to  the  same 
Temple? 

Just  as  there  cannot  be  one  mathematics  for  the 
East,  and  another  mathematics  for  the  West  —  so 
the  cosmic  consciousness  of  this  age  cannot  accept 
the  fact  of  there  being  two  different  kinds  of  re- 
ligion. The  apparent  differences  between  the 
world's  great  religions  are  due,  according  to  the 
cosmic  consciousness,  to  the  same  law  that  obtains 
in  Art.  For  Art  is  one  everywhere  and  at  all 
times  with  respect  to  its  creative  power,  but  Art 
differs  everywhere  and  always  with  respect  to  its 
form  of  expression.  The  oneness  of  Art  is  in  fact 
proved  by  the  very  diversity  of  its  expression. 
The  modern  cosmic  consciousness  recognizes  this 


THE  COSMIC  TRINITY  16 

law  and  also  applies  it  to  the  expression  of  religion. 
And  this  modern  cosmic  consciousness  recognizes 
with  increasing  clearness  that  the  man,  or  group, 
which  does  not  feel  the  Christ  in  Mohamet  or 
Buddha  does  not  really  feel  the  Christ  in  Christ! 
By  their  fruits  ye  know  them. 

Have  we  not,  as  a  race,  been  repeating  here  on 
a  larger  scale  the  same  mistake  incurred  by  the 
artists  who  misunderstand  scientists,  by  the  scient- 
ists who  misunderstand  artists?  Have  we  not  gazed 
into  the  mirror  of  consciousness  and  beheld  as  two 
bodies  that  which,  in  a  more  perfect  mirror,  would 
appear  as  one  body?  But  what  is  that  "more  per- 
fect mirror?"  Is  it  not  merely  a  terminology 
wherein  objective  truth  will  correspond  directly  to 
subjective  experience?  A  terminology  which  will 
be  at  once  impersonal,  universally  valid  and  ac- 
ceptable, permanently  applicable?  A  cosmic 
terminology? 

In  such  a  mirror  we  could  all  gaze  and  see  re- 
flected back  one  and  the  same  spiritual  body. 
While  that  spiritual  body  would  be  more  signifi- 
cant for  the  highly  developed  person  than  for  the 
lowly  developed  person  —  while  it  would  inspire 
one  emotion  in  the  man  of  pure  heart  and  another 
in  the  man  of  pure  reason  —  yet  in  that  body  of 
cosmic  truth  we  should  all  recognize  our  own  re- 
flection, and  gradually  become  able  to  appreciate 
that  aspect  which  was  reflected  back  to  others  un- 
like ourselves. 


16  BAHAI 

And  thus  we  approach  the  most  significant  fact 
in  the  intellectual  character  of  the  present  age: 
that  in  the  objective  sciences  we  possess  a  termi- 
nology doing  away  forever  with  the  limited,  per- 
sonal, local  terminologies  of  the  past  —  the  termi- 
nologies representing  God  as  the  *'Father,"  exclud- 
ing from  God  all  members  of  other  patriarchal 
families  who  look  to  another  "Father" —  and  for- 
ever doing  away  with  that  selfish  and  physical  con- 
ception of  Christ  as  the  "only  begotten  Son,"  the 
only  recipient  of  cosmic  authority,  the  only  agent 
for  cosmic  purpose ! 


II 

"All  things  of  the  world  arise  through  man  and  are  manifest 
in  him,  through  whom  they  find  life  and  development:  and 
man  is  dependent  for  his  spiritual  existence  upon  the  Sun 
of  the  Word  of  God/*  —  Baha'o'llah. 

But  our  possession  of  a  true  cosmic  terminology 
means  far  more  than  the  mere  capacity  to  discuss 
spiritual  experience  impartially  with  any  and  every 
kind  of  person,  serenely  independent  of  the  artificial 
barriers  raised  by  churches  and  creeds.  If  you 
reflect  upon  the  matter,  you  will  realize  that  this 
cosmic  terminology  actually  creates,  or  at  least 
registers,  a  profound,  a  revolutionary  increase  in 
our  capacity  to  receive  truth. 


THE  COSMIC  TRINITY  17 

For  tremendous  as  the  idea  of  "Father"  might 
formerly  have  been  in  the  days  of  patriarchal  so- 
cieties, its  effect  upon  the  modern  mind  is  nothing 
as  compared  with  the  cosmic  idea  suggested  by 
"Gravitation,"  "Electricity,"  even  "Atom."  These 
words  open  up  endless  vistas  of  wonder  and  inquiry, 
vistas  which  far  outrun  our  present  loiowledge. 
For  we  perceive  even  from  the  slight  beginnings 
already  made,  that  any  cosmic  force,  such  as 
Electricity,  is  limited  only  by  our  own  capacity  to 
create  the  machinery  fitted  to  receive  and  transmit 
its  illimitable  energy.  We  appreciate  at  last, 
beyond  doubt  or  cavil,  that  the  universe  has  vibra- 
tion upon  vibration,  force  behind  force,  meaning 
beyond  meaning,  the  finer  forces  only  awaiting  our 
capacity  to  reveal  them,  control  them,  employ 
them. 

In  exactly  the  same  way,  we  appreciate  at  last, 
beyond  doubt  or  cavil,  that  man  himself  is  a  con- 
scious mechanism  susceptible  of  infinite  develop- 
ment. For  these  finer  vibrations  have  always  been 
penetrating  the  universe  —  if  their  effects  are 
manifest  now  for  the  first  time,  it  is  only  because 
now  for  the  first  time  are  we  able  to  register  them. 
And  just  as  each  improvement  in  electric  dynamos, 
for  example,  enlarges  our  ideas  of  the  cosmic 
reality,  so  does  each  refinement  in  human  conscious- 
ness justify  the  conviction  that  constant  further 
refinements  can  be  made.  We  realize  how  inca- 
pable was  our  first  crude  dynamo  to  receive  the  full 


18  BAHAI 

power  of  Niagara  —  surely,  we  begin  to  realize 
that  crude  states  of  consciousness  likewise  shut  us 
off  from  the  world's  invisible  Niagaras  of  spiritual 
power. 

IMore  clearly  than  even  half  a  century  ago  can  we 
now  appreciate  how  Christ,  or  Mohamet,  or  Buddha, 
was  as  it  were  a  spiritual  dynamo  revealing  those 
invisible  Niagaras —  but  revealing  them  under  the 
same  difficulty  and  limitation  we  ourselves  would 
experience  if  we  tried  to  explain  Electricity  to  an 
African  savage.  The  African  savage  would  think 
that  the  dynamo  created  the  Electricity  —  he  would 
feel  the  awe  for  the  material  dynamo  that  we  feel 
for  the  cosmic  Electricity.  His  attitude  would 
perfectly  parallel  the  attitude  of  the  Western  world 
toward  Christ,  and  the  Eastern  world  toward 
Moses,  Mohamet  or  Buddha. 

Until  we  had  the  analogy  of  invisible  physical 
forces  working  through  material  instruments,  we 
could  have  no  true  understanding  of  how  invisible 
spiritual  forces  manifest  through  consciousness. 
And  this  brings  us  to  another  significant  fact:  the 
difference  between  the  dynamo  constructed,  let  us 
say,  with  only  the  Imowledge  of  how  previous  dyna- 
mos were  constructed,  and  the  dynamo  constructed, 
if  that  were  possible,  from  the  point  of  view  of  the 
Electricity  itself.  The  first  sort  of  dynamo  uses 
only  the  smallest  fraction  of  the  cosmic  energy  — 
but  the  second  sort  would  not  only  use  all  that 
energy,  up  to  the  capacity  of  its  size  —  it  w^ould 


THE  COSMIC  TRINITY  19 

tend  to  be  Electricity  on  the  material  plane.  It 
is  not  difficult  to  realize  that  the  perfect  dynamo 
would  have  to  be  perfectly  responsive  to  the  action 
of  Electricity. 

Since  this  is  clear,  in  the  same  way  we  can  appre- 
ciate the  difference  between  a  consciousness  which 
blindly  gropes  upward  toward  the  contact  with 
cosmic  reality,  and  the  consciousness  which  that 
reality  itself  has  established  as  its  perfect  expres- 
sion on  this  human  plane.  Inasmuch  as  every  per- 
son who  registers  cosmic  consciousness  at  all,  feels 
drawn  upward,  as  it  were,  out  of  himself,  such  per- 
sons can  readily  admit  the  possibility  that  this 
cosmic  reality  can  work  downward,  into  the  human 
world  from  above.  Thus  there  can  logically  be 
an  order  of  consciousness  which  is  to  the  ordi- 
nary human  consciousness  as  the  ordinary  human 
consciousness   is   to    the    animal    or   even    to   the 

tree. 

Does  not  this  analogy  make  clearer  the  world-old 
tendency  to  identify  each  racial  Christ  with  God? 
Does  it  not  avoid  anthropomorphism  on  the  one 
hand,  while  at  the  same  time  establishing,  on  the 
other  hand,  a  true  understanding  of  God?  Does  it 
not  reveal  the  racial  Christ  as  the  function  of  God 
on  this  plane  —  the  working  of  the  Divine  Will 
to  be  kno\vn  —  yet  not  in  any  manner  degrade  God 
from  the  point  of  view  of  our  modern  cosmic  and 
scientific  knowledge?  A  little  reflection  on  this 
idea  will,  I  am  sure,  create  a  logical  and  sympa- 


20  BAHAI 

thetic  approach  to  a  problem  which  hitherto  has 
been  equally  obscured  by  the  limitations  of  the 
orthodox  mind  and  the  no  less  vital  limitations  of 
the  scoffer's  heart. 

For  there  is  this  further  consideration  which  can- 
not be  avoided  —  that  whereas,  as  already  stated, 
the  idea  of  Electricity  is  more  tremendous  and  im- 
pressive and  inspiring  than  the  idea  of  Father,  yet 
the  idea  of  Electricity,  for  all  its  cosmic  significance, 
remains  absolutely  negative  as  regards  our  supreme 
human  problem:  the  necessity  to  arrive  at  a  final 
decision  respecting  the  nature  of  the  universe  and 
the  nature  of  man,  the  meaning  of  existence.  That 
is.  Electricity  certainly  suggests  infinite  force  — 
but  in  a  form  which  justifies  almost  any  interpre- 
tation we  care  to  put  upon  the  basic  significance 
of  life.  You  can  use  Electricity  to  reinforce  your 
belief  that  life  is  blind  chance,  or  your  faith  that 
life  is  one  marvelous  purpose  and  perfect  design. 
And  while  the  idea  of  Electricity  will  confirm  you 
in  either  belief,  you  cannot  possibly  employ  that 
idea  in  such  a  way  as  to  transfer  your  belief  to  a 
person  holding  the  opposite  belief. 

In  other  words  —  the  nature  of  the  cosmos  can- 
not be  realized  through  Power  alone.  Power  must 
be  referred  to  two  other  values  on  the  same  plane  — 
the  cosmic  plane.  Through  Power,  or  Will,  we 
must  perceive  Knowledge,  and  in  Knowledge,  or 
from  Knowledge,  we  must  perceive  Love.  And 
this  Will  and  this  Love  must  be  inseparable  from 


THE  COSMIC  TRINITY  21 

this  Knowledge.  Though  they  are  three,  yet  they 
must  be  realizable  as  one. 

Thus  we  return,  but  on  an  infinitely  higher  plane, 
to  the  basic  religious  conception  of  the  Trinity. 
We  recall  the  law  of  geometry,  that  three  points 
determine  a  plane.  For  the  plane  of  consciousness 
also  requires  three  "points"  in  order  to  be  realized: 
the  point  of  Will,  the  point  of  Knowledge,  and  the 
point  of  Love.  Just  begin  to  apply  these  three 
points  to  the  consciousness  of  the  people  around 
you,  and  see  how  impossible  it  is  to  understand  any 
human  being  with  respect  to  Will  alone,  or  Knowl- 
edge alone,  or  Love  alone,  or  even  with  respect  to 
any  two  of  these  points  alone.  Until  you  have 
measured  a  man  with  respect  to  all  three.  Will, 
Knowledge  and  Love,  you  have  not  the  man's  real 
measure. 

Therefore  w^e  now  call  the  Cosmic  Trinity  by  the 
understandable  terms  Will,  Knowledge  and  Love ; 
realizing  them,  at  least  in  their  possibility,  as  cosmic 
values  no  less  authoritative  than  any  of  the  already 
known  values.  Electricity,  Mathematics,  INIusic. 
And  we  perceive  the  further  possibility  that  the 
Cosmic  Reality  can  manifest  these  three  aspects  of 
itself  through,  or  by  means  of,  perfected  human 
consciousness. 

That  is,  without  shock  to  our  modern  scientific 
understanding,  we  can  at  least  admit  as  an  hypothe- 
sis that  one  consciousness  might  register  that  cosmic 
Will,  another  consciousness  might  register  or  mani- 


22  BAHAI 

f est  that  cosmic  Knowledge,  still  another  conscious- 
ness might  manifest  that  cosmic  Love.  If  we  prefer 
to  believe,  on  the  contrary,  that  these  cosmic  values 
would  manifest  as  a  diffusion,  as  it  were,  among  the 
entire  race,  this  belief  is  apparently  as  justifiable  as 
the  other  belief,  but  it  comes  in  conflict  with  two 
clear  facts. 

The  first  fact  is  that  in  other  fields, —  the  field 
of  science,  art  and  statesmanship  — progress  is  not 
made  by  diffusion  until  after  each  step  has  been 
manifested  through  some  one  mind.  For  example, 
the  discovery  of  the  true  planetary  motions  came 
through  one  mind  first,  and  was  then  diffused 
through  other  minds.  Each  advance  in  art  is  like- 
wise registered  by  one  personality  first  and  then  re- 
flected by  other  artists.  And  no  political  progress 
has  ever  been  made  merely  through  the  vote  of  an 
electorate  —  it  does  not  even  come  to  a  vote  until 
some  leader  has  made  it  a  vital  issue.  Moreover, 
even  if  this  analogy  is  not  acceptable,  we  should 
consider  another  fact,  namely,  that  just  as  Elec- 
tricity is  not  understandable  from  the  dynamo,  but 
the  dynamo  is  rather  only  understandable  from 
Electricity  —  so,  surely,  in  dealing  with  cosmic 
spiritual  forces  we  must  obsei^ve  the  same  law:  that 
is,  we  should  not  define  the  force  in  terms  of  our 
own  imperfect  manifestation  of  the  force,  but,  on 
the  contrary,  attempt  to  make  our  manifestation  of 
the  force  correspond  as  closely  as  possible  to  the  real 
nature  of  the  force,  the  force-in-itself . 


THE  COSMIC  TRINITY  23 

Or  —  to  put  the  matter  more  clearly  —  it  seems 
evident  that  we  shall  make  a  grievous  mistake  if 
we  attempt  to  define  the  nature  or  purpose  of  God 
from  the  more  or  less  crude  spiritual  dynamos  we 
ourselves  are.  The  true  method,  surely,  is  to  define 
ourselves  from  a  definition  of  God  apart  from  our 
own  limitations. 

Unless,  then,  a  person  considers  himself  a  perfect 
manifestation  of  spiritual  reality  —  unless  one  con- 
siders oneself  a  supreme  and  final  manifestation  of 
God  —  one  will  be  willing  at  least  to  consider  what 
another  person,  a  more  perfect  manifestation  of 
God,  might  have  to  say. 

The  difficulty  here  is  exactly  the  same  difficulty 
that  obtains  all  along  the  plane  of  consciousness. 
See  how  biology,  for  example,  has  transformed  its 
basic  conceptions  every  decade  during  the  past  half 
century.  At  first  we  were  compelled  to  generalize 
in  terms  of  the  particulars  at  our  disposal  —  gradu- 
ally we  have  become  able  to  particularize,  as  it  were, 
in  terms  of  greater  and  greater  universals.  How- 
ever you  approach  the  cosmos,  this  principle  seems 
to  hold  true:  that  the  universal  is  limited  by  any 
and  every  particular,  but  any  and  every  particular 
requires  interpretation  in  the  light  of  the  universal. 

Therefore,  while  the  reader  may  not  feel  willing 
to  take  each  step  in  the  sequence  of  thought  already 
developed,  he  will  surely  be  willing  to  await  for 
further  development  of  the  thought  —  await  for  the 
universal,  in  other  words,  which  shall  make  these 


24  BAHAI 

particulars  clear.  We  must  construct  a  preliminary 
dynamo  in  order  to  be  able  to  observe  the  nature 
of  Electricity,  and  the  moment  we  have  gained  a 
better  understanding  of  its  nature,  then  we  can  go 
back  and  construct  a  better  dynamo.  What  has 
been  said  so  far  is  only  the  building  of  that  prelimi- 
nary thought-dynamo  to  enable  us  to  observe  the 
nature  of  God.  It  has  been  made  clear,  at  any  rate, 
that  the  only  true  source  for  knowledge  about  God 
is  the  human  soul  —  and  the  purer  the  soul,  the 
more  perfect  the  knowledge. 


Ill 

"The  source  of  all  these  utterances  is  Justice,  It  is  the 
freedom  of  man  from  superstition  and  limitation  that  he 
may  discern  the  Manifestations  of  God  with  the  eye  of  one- 
ness, and  consider  all  affairs  with   keen  'vision/* 

—  Baha'o'llah. 

Few  people  today  would  be  surprised  at  learning 
that  a  new  and  revolutionary  engine  had  been  in- 
invented.  Few  would  be  surprised  to  hear  that 
atomic  energy  had  at  last  been  reduced  to  practical 
service  by  means  of  some  novel  machine.  But  most 
people  would  smile  with  supreme  incredulity  if  told 
that  a  Christ  type  of  man  were  now  alive  upon  this 
earth.  It  is  easier  to  believe  in  that  which  con- 
sciousness can  produce  than  to  believe  in  that  which 


THE  COSMIC  TRINITY  26 

consciousness  can  be.  People  still  feel  that  the 
greatest  cosmic  forces  are  physical  and  blind,  like 
Electricity,  rather  than  spiritual  and  expressive  of 
purpose,  like  Truth  or  Love. 

The  person  who  cannot  find  it  possible  to  believe 
that  any  other  person  may  possess  a  spiritual 
mechanism  as  far  superior  to  his  own  as  the  electric 
dynamo  is  suj)erior  to  the  first  laborious  hand 
wheel  —  that  person,  I  sincerely  believe,  will  not 
have  read  even  this  far  in  my  book.  For  while  I 
address  the  rational  type  of  being,  I  address  the 
reason  which  desires  ever  new  and  stronger  inspira- 
tions, ever  new  and  more  valid  evidences  that  the 
universe  is  a  divine  creation  and  not  a  helpless 
machine.  I  address  the  reason  which  having  come 
thus  far  along  the  road  of  eternity,  does  not  con- 
sider that  he  stands  upon  its  ultimate  summit,  but 
discerns  greater  heights  still  ahead. 

Therefore  I  feel  it  quite  simple  to  mention  the 
three  cosmic  types  who  have  manifested  divinely 
spiritual  powers  in  this  day.  And  I  mention  these 
three  Manifestations  of  God  only  in  the  sincere  en- 
deavor to  arrive  at  a  way  of  thinking  or  feeling 
which  the  reader  himself  will  acknowledge  is  a 
valid  proof  of  the  claims  of  these  Manifestations 
themselves.  Once  this  quality  of  proof  has  been 
advanced,  the  reader  is  quite  at  liberty  to  use  this 
very  proof,  or  any  other  proof  he  may  find  avail- 
able, for  denying  that  these  Manifestations  are  in 
any  wise  different  from  himself.    This  book  is  a 


26  BAHAI 

search  for  Truth,  a  search  for  the  very  source  of 
Truth,  and  not  a  polemic  dogmatically  insisting 
that  this  or  the  other  is  Truth. 

The    historical    facts^    at    our    disposal    are    as 
follows: 

In  1844  a  Persian  named  Mohammed  Ali,  then 
twenty-four  years  old,  announced  publicly  that  he 
was  the  forerunner  of  a  Manifestation  who  after 
a  certain  interval  would  declare  himself  to  be  that 
"Ancient,"  that  "Lord,"  that  "Alpha  and  Omega" 
foretold  by  all  the  prophets,  and  that  from  him 
would  emanate  a  new  cycle  of  Spiritual  Civilization 
encircling  and  uniting  the  world.  The  character, 
actions  and  powers  of  Mohammed  Ali  are  matters 
of  accurate  record,  and  since  they  are  available  else- 
where, need  not  enter  the  present  book. 

Nineteen  years  later,  in  1863,  Hosein  Ali,  a 
Persian  Prince  of  purest  Aryan  lineage,  announced 
himself  as  that  Manifestation  declared  by  INIoham- 
med  Ali.  The  title  by  which  Hosein  Ali  has  since 
been  known  is  that  of  Baha'o'llah,  or  The  Glory  of 
God.  The  title  of  Mohammed  Ali  is  that  of  El 
Bab,  meaning  The  Door,  or  Gate. 

Baha'o'llah  passed  from  the  flesh  in  1892,  at  the 
Turkish  prison  city  of  Acca,  Palestine,  leaving  as 
the  last  of  his  works  a  Covenant  or  Testament, 
designating  his  eldest  son.  Abbas  Effendi,  as  his 
spiritual  successor  among  men,  the  person  responsi- 


See  chapter  "Constructive  Reading  List. 


THE  COSMIC  TRINITY  27 

ble  for,  and  able  to  carry  on  his  function  and  pur- 
pose in  the  world.  Since  that  date,  Abbas  Effendi 
has  been  known  by  the  title  of  Abdul  Baha,  or 
Servant  of  the  Glory. 

From  1892  up  to  the  present  moment,  Abdul 
Baha  has  remained  at  Acca  or  Haifa,  Palestine, 
residing  at  the  foot  of  IMount  Carmel,  except  for 
the  space  of  two  years,  1911-1913,  when  he  traversed 
Europe,  Canada  and  the  United  States,  delivering 
in  daily  public  talks  and  innumerable  private  inter- 
views what  is  usually  known  as  *'The  Bahai  Mes- 
sage," but  which  Abdul  Baha  himself  preferred  to 
call  the  spirit  of  the  age.^  The  substance  of  these 
public  talks  was  a  summons  for  Universal  Peace, 
a  summons  to  investigate  the  reality  of  the  prin- 
ciples and  claims  of  Baha'o'llah,  a  summons  to  pro- 
mote the  oneness  of  mankind. 

At  the  present  moment  —  reinforced  daily  by 
the  realization  that  Abdul  Baha  is,  if  nothing  more, 
yet  at  least  the  world's  greatest  statesman,  its 
greatest  economist,  and  its  greatest  spiritual  teacher 
—  those  words  are  being  studied  with  new  insight 
and  appreciation  throughout  all  parts  of  America 
and  Canada  by  followers  of  this  Revelation. 

These  followers  are  ordinarily  designated  as  a  de- 
tached interest  under  the  name  The  Bahai  ^love- 
ment.  The  slightest  appreciation  of  this  Revelation, 
however,  leads  one  to  realize  that  the  spirit  of  the 


'See  chapter  "The  Spirit  of  the  Age." 


28  BAHAI 

age  cannot  be  thus  conveniently  confined.  The 
slight  Bahai  organization^  which  exists  is,  in  com- 
parison with  the  Revelation  itself,  only  as  body  in 
comparison  to  soul.  Obviously,  the  cosmically  con- 
scious person  of  to-day  cannot  accept  any  arbitrary, 
limiting  classification.  The  basic  principle  of 
Abdul  Baha's  teaching  is:  This  is  the  Century  of 
Spiritual  Illumination.  Its  basic  application  is: 
Investigate  Truth,  Promote  Peace,  Proclaim  the 
Oneness  of  Mankind. 

In  the  remainder  of  this  essay  the  attempt  will 
be  made  to  realize  the  cosmic  significance  of  these 
three  extraordinary  beings. 


IV 

"Wherefore,  when  He  appeared,  the  foundations  of  nations 
trembled,  the  learned  were  bewildered  and  the  wise  men 
were  confounded,  save  those  who  came  near  unto  Thee,  took 
from  the  hand  of  Favor  the  pure  wine  of  Thy  inspiration, 
and  drank  in  Thy  name,  saying:  Praise  be  unto  Thee,  0 
Desire  of  the  nations!  Praise  be  unto  Thee,  Beloved  of  the 
hearts  of  the  yearning!**  —  Baha'o'llah. 

As  the  will  of  a  man  cannot  be  accurately  re- 
vealed by  any  one  of  his  actions,  but  only  by  study- 
ing the  curve  of  actions  described  by  his  life  as  a 


•"The  Bahai  Movement  is  not  an  organization.  You  cannot 
organize  the  Bahai  Movement.  ...  The  Bahai  Movement  is  the 
spirit  of  this  age."  —  Abdul  Baha. 


THE  COSMIC  TRINITY  29 

whole,  so  the  Will  of  God,  or  if  you  prefer,  cosmic 
Will,  cannot  be  interpreted  from  any  single  event, 
nor  from  any  series  of  events  affecting  one  single 
area  or  portion  of  humanity;  but  that  Will  is  re- 
vealed in  its  singleness,  in  its  authority,  in  its 
grandeur  and  in  its  irresistible  purpose,  only  in  and 
through  the  entire  historic  sequence  and  develop- 
ment of  mankind. 

In  passing,  therefore,  let  us  note  well  this  other 
most  significant  condition  arrived  at  by  mankind 
now  for  the  first  time  —  the  condition  of  possessing 
at  least  an  outline  of  human  History,  History  valid 
for  several  thousand  years  and  including  something 
of  the  life  which  has  been  lived  on  all  the  continents 
and  islands  of  the  seven  seas.  For  insofar  as  we 
can  scrutinize  that  human  History  as  a  whole,  to 
that  extent,  and  only  to  that  extent,  do  we  have 
the  right  to  claim  that  we  at  least  hold  in  our  grasp 
the  only  instrument  really  permitting  us  to  begin 
investigating  the  divine  or  cosmic  Will.  He  who 
would  claim  the  right  to  define  that  Will  from 
the  History  of  one  single  race,  or  one  single  period, 
is  as  one  who  claims  that  he  knows  you  and  me  per- 
fectly from  knowing  one  hour  of  our  lives,  or  that 
he  knows  the  ocean  because  he  has  passed  by  one 
sheltered  bay.  Forgive  them  for  they  know  not 
what  they  do !  Surely,  not  cosmic  Will,  but  merely 
tribal  or  personal  wilfulness,  is  that  self-glorifying 
and  illogically  exclusive  'purpose'  we  have  hitherto 
made  History  yield.     And,  indeed,  while  our  age 


30  BAHAI 

has  opened  up  the  book  of  human  History  for  the 
first  time,  our  readings  so  far  only  warn  us  that  the 
most  important  item  of  our  knowledge  is  the  ad- 
mission of  the  far  off  cycles  which  we  do  not  loiow ! 
For  while  the  mysterious  thread  of  human  record 
leads  at  last  to  the  ape,  it  leads  to  an  ape  found 
plajdng  in  the  ruins  of  a  Temple  more  impressive 
than  the  glories  which  were  Greece,  or  the  grandeur 
which  is  Rome. 

Therefore,  as  a  source  of  knowledge  about  God, 
our  fragments  of  History  are  worse  than  useless. 
From  those  fragments  you  may  prove  what  you 
most  care  to  prove.  You  may  prove  that  every 
aspiration  of  the  heart,  every  vision  of  the  soul, 
has  turned  to  dust  and  vanity;  or  you  may  prove 
that  spiritual  vision,  right  along,  has  guided,  has 
strengthened,  has  rewarded  the  weary  flesh  of  man. 

Once  more  —  yea,  once  more,  as  you  will  find  a 
thousand  times  repeated  if  you  seek  in  ordinary 
human  nature,  in  ordinary  human  knowledge,  or  in 
the  physical  universe,  for  some  valid  proof  of  God 
— once  more,  consulting  History  itself,  we  meet 
only  our  oa\ti  reflection  in  the  glass  of  life,  hear  only 
our  o^vn  echo  flung  back  from  the  solitary  mountain, 
once  more  find  affirmation  and  denial  locked  in 
each  other's  arms  as  wrestlers  perfectly  matched. 

But  perha^DS  in  this  very  fact  lies  the  answer  to 
the  mystery.  For  there  is  in  the  movement  of  the 
earth  about  the  sun  a  very  similar  moment  of  sus- 
pension —  a  moment  when,  to  some  solitary  watcher 


THE  COSMIC  TRINITY  31 

of  the  skies,  it  might  well  seem  doubtful  whether 
the  earth's  orbit  was  to  straighten  out  in  a  line  lead- 
ing it  forever  away  from  the  sun,  or  once  more  turn 
the  terrible  elliptic  curve  bringing  the  earth  back  to 
warmth,  to  light,  to  life. 

So,  even  though  we  do  not  possess  the  entire  orbit 
of  human  History,  w^e  can  at  least  hold  it  possible 
that  a  time  like  the  i)resent,  when  good  and  evil  are 
so  mysteriously  matched,  is  a  time  corresponding 
to  that  moment  in  the  movement  of  the  earth.  For 
mankind,  clearly,  so  far  as  we  can  tell  from  the 
collective  social  will,  is  now  perceptibly  poised  in 
that  suspense  which  may  mean  regeneration,  or  may 
as  readily  mean  eclipse. 

Of  itself,  at  that  farthest  point  from  the  sun,  the 
earth's  momentum  would  impel  it  forever  away  into 
annihilating  space.  It  is  the  sun's  power,  the  sun's 
will,  if  we  may  call  it  so,  which  alone  can  overcome 
that  momentum  and  restore  the  circle  of  the  orbit 
of  existence.  Even  so,  by  the  authority  of  cosmic 
Will,  has  the  evil  momentum  of  the  earth  of  con- 
sciousness, a  momentum  gathering  greater  and 
greater  force  through  the  ages,  been  overcome  and 
turned  back  into  the  orbit  of  the  Sun  of  Truth. 

Conceive  of  that  tremendous  being,  El  Bab,  as 
the  Herald  of  cosmic  Will.  His  appearance  in  the 
world  at  this  time  is  to  be  interpreted  as  meaning 
that  human  consciousness  had  reached  the  farthest 
point  from  God;  and  by  his  Manifestation  a  force 
was  established,  working  upon  the  souls  of  men. 


32*  BAHAI 

summoning  them  back  upon  the  path  of  light  and 
defining  for  humanity  its  true  orbit  toward  spiritual 
enlightemnent.  No  other  hypothesis  worthily  in- 
terprets the  character  and  influence  of  El  Bab  — 
even  objectively  the  most  impressive  human  being, 
in  intuitive  knowledge,  in  radiant  love,  in  selfless 
sacrifice,  in  spiritual  authority,  w^ho  up  to  that  mo- 
ment had  trod  this  earth  in  all  the  moments  of  re- 
corded time.  No  other  hypothesis,  on  the  other 
hand,  worthily  interprets  the  character  of  events 
taking  place  throughout  the  world,  renewing  the 
life  of  the  nations,  since  that  hour  of  destiny,  in 
1844. 

Far  down  beneath  all  our  modern  skepticism, 
our  unmoral  "enlightenment,"  our  intelligent  ma- 
terialism, that  cosmic  Love  penetrated,  laying  the 
foundations  of  the  New  Age.  In  the  sacrifice  that 
Love  consciously  accepted,  the  long  waiting  of  all 
the  saints  and  martyrs  was  fulfilled.  The  Day  of 
God  for  which  they  were  constant  witnesses,  drew 
to  its  dawn. 

Of  El  Bab,  Baha'o'llah  has  said:  "His  station 
is  greater  than  all  the  Prophets,  and  his  mission 
loftier  than  the  laiowledge  and  comprehension  of  all 
the  Holy  Ones." 

El  Bab,  like  Abdul  Baha,  manifested  from  the 
Will  which  we  call  Baha'o'llah.  For  the  sun  does 
not  draw  near  to  the  earth,  but  the  earth  draws  near 
to  the  sun;  and  the  Sun  of  Truth  could  not  estab- 
lish effects  upon  the  collective  human  conscious- 


THE  COSMIC  TRINITY  33 

ness  until  that  consciousness  had  been  prepared. 
The  function  of  El  Bab  was  to  gather  together  and 
focus  into  one  point  the  world's  capacity  to  receive 
the  cosmic  Will.  By  his  IManifestation  the  earth 
of  consciousness  was  carried  into  the  direct  influ- 
ence of  the  Sun  of  Truth. 

Like  a  flash  of  divine  lightning  the  brief  existence 
of  El  Bab  came  and  went,  a  mystery  and  an  amaze- 
ment to  all  people  soever  who  looked  upon  that 
Love.  Upon  that  Love  the  animal  man  directed 
its  hate ;  but  by  his  sacrifice  the  cosmic  Purpose  en- 
tered irrevocably  into  the  life  of  the  world.  The 
effect  of  his  Manifestation  is  concentrated  into  a 
single  point,  the  first  of  the  three  cosmic  Points 
which  determine  the  plane  of  reality. 

To  that  Point  converged  the  History  of  all  peo- 
ples, the  progress  of  all  nations.  For  this  Point, 
Paul  became  a  witness.  For  this  Point,  Plato  be- 
came a  witness.  For  this  Point,  the  pyramids  were 
measured,  the  Zodiac  hung  to  girdle  Time.  Unto 
this  Point,  Daniel  laid  off  the  measure  of  the  days. 
Unto  this  Point,  Ezekial  laid  off  the  measure  of 
the  Temple.  Luther  testified  unto  this  Point.  Of 
this  Point  Buddlia  meditated  under  the  tree  of 
spiritual  wisdom. 

Before  the  emanation  of  this  Point,  History  was 
naught  but  unintelligible  chaos,  without  beginning, 
without  ending,  without  purpose,  without  process, 
vdthout  form,  without  soul,  save  only  as  a  secret 
to  the  few.    After  its  emanation,  History  stands 


34.  BAHAI 

clearly  revealed,  an  orbit  of  the  spiritual  earth 
around  the  divine  Sun.  Ask  of  John,  in  the  Apoc- 
alypse. Ask  of  Pythagoras,  in  the  Tetrad.  These 
and  their  peers  from  China  to  Yucatan  arise  to 
certify  to  him  in  whom  the  cosmic  Will  revealed 
the  meaning  of  these  days  as  the  meeting  of  Science 
and  Religion,  henceforth  forever  inseparable,  the 
stable  and  valid  evidence  of  God  in  the  creation  of 
the  world. 


"The  Sun  of  Truth  is  the  Word  of  God,  upon  which  depends 
the  training  of  the  people  of  the  country  of  thought.  It  is  the 
Spirit  of  Reality  and  the  Water  of  Life.  All  things  owe 
their  existence  to  It.  Its  manifestation  is  ever  according  to 
the  capacity  and  coloring  of  the  mirror  in  which  It  may  be 
reflected.  For  example:  Its  Light,  when  cast  on  the  mirrors 
of  the  wise,  gives  expression  to  wisdom;  when  reflected  from 
the  minds  of  artists  It  produces  manifestations  of  new  and 
beautiful  arts;  when  It  shines  through  the  thoughts  of  stu- 
dents. It  reveals  knowledge  and  unfolds  mysteries." 

—  Baha'o*llah. 

By  this  time,  surely,  we  can  pause  a  moment  and 
appreciate  the  power  of  this  modern  terminology, 
this  cosmic  terminology  and  symbolism  which 
serves  to-day  as  the  supreme,  perfect  vehicle  of 


THE  COSMIC  TRINITY  35 

Truth/  How  much  more  impressive,  how  much 
more  clear,  how  much  more  acceptable,  is  the  in- 
terpretation of  the  mission  of  a  spiritual  being  as 
the  manifestation  of  the  cosmic  Love,  turning  back 
the  earth  of  consciousness  upon  the  true  orbit,  than 
the  interpretation  we  had  of  John  the  Baptist  as 
the  inexplicable  "forerunner"  of  Christ,  when  this 
same  character  and  quality  of  events  was  enacted 
on  a  local  scale! 

Now  we  need  not  "accept"  any  being,  in  the 
sense  of  personal  superstitious  adoration  and  blind 
obedience  —  rather  is  it  our  privilege  to  draw  ever 
nearer  and  nearer  the  spiritual  significance  of  the 
times  in  which  we  live.  The  "obedience,"  the 
"acceptance"  required  by  cosmic  Revelation  is  en- 
tirely a  matter  of  response  to  the  inspiration  of 
new  and  perfected  knowledge  of  God. 

Thus,  thanks  to  our  cosmic  terminology,  we  can 
realize  in  something  of  its  fulness  the  meaning  of 
the  next  act  in  the  tremendous  spiritual  drama 
our  age  witnesses. 

For,  just  as  the  phenomenal  sun  is,  as  compared 
to  the  phenomenal  earth,  ever  poised  in  the  same 
place,  ever  emanating  the  same  degree  of  heat  and 
light  —  but  the  amount  of  that  heat  and  light  re- 
ceived by  the  earth  is  determined  by  the  earth's  own 


♦"Everything  in  the  spiritual  world  corresponds  to  something  in 
the  world  of  nature.  For  example,  electrical  magnetism  is  the 
natural  force  which  corresponds  to  the  spiritual  power,  love." 

—  Abdul  Baha. 


36  BAHAI 

location  with  respect  to  the  sun  —  so  the  spiritual 
sun,  the  Sun  of  Truth,  has  ever  been  equally  power- 
ful, equally  valid,  equally  perceptible,  equally  cre- 
ative with  respect  to  Its  own  capacity,  but  as  re- 
gards the  earth  of  consciousness  Its  Light  has  been 
received  with  varying  fullness  at  various  times. 
Our  orbit  has  at  times  drawn  near,  and  at  other 
times  turned  away.  God  has  been  at  one  time  a 
clear  fact  to  human  consciousness,  but  at  another 
time  been  merely  an  empty  term. 

Therefore,  when  the  cosmic  Love  had  served  to 
turn  the  earth  of  consciousness  back  into  the  orbit 
of  approach  from  the  orbit  of  recession,  the  cosmic 
Reality,^  the  cosmic  Purpose,  stood  clearly  revealed. 
In  Baha'o'llah  the  Sun  of  Truth  manifested  —  the 
Glory  of  God,  the  supreme  Divine  Manifestation 
for  this  plane,  sent  forth  its  creative  rays  upon  the 
earth  of  consciousness  in  their  direct  fullness,  since 
now  that  earth  has  drawn  again  into  the  sphere  of 
their  cosmic  influence.  The  winter  of  doubt  has 
become  the  summer  of  assurance.  The  night  of 
ignorance  has  become  the  dawn  of  wisdom  around 
the  entire  world  in  the  soul  of  man. 

To  understand  somewhat  of  that  Sun  of  Truth 
let  us  measure  its  power  by  the  spiritual  rays  re- 
ceived by  the  earth  of  consciousness  since  1863, 


»  Baha'o'llah's  Station  is  the  station  of:  Be,  and  it  is!  Thus  he 
laid  down  the  creative  principles,  not  as  Knowledge,  though  in  the 
form  of  knowledge,  but  as  Will. 


THE  COSMIC  TRINITY  37 

confirming  the  "great  awakening"  dated  by  the 
Manifestation  of  El  Bab,  in  1844. 

Innumerable  are  the  "rays"  which  even  material- 
istic History  must  acknowledge  have  revealed  their 
light  and  warmth  in  these  past  seventy  or  eighty 
years. 

The  uniformity  of  cosmic  law  has  been  estab- 
lished by  rational  science  and  philosophy.^  Human 
slavery  has  been  abolished.  The  long  racial  hope 
of  the  Jews  approaches  its  magnificent  realization.'' 
Christian  Science  has  grown  to  powerful  propor- 
tions.® H.  P.  Blavatsky  has  transmitted  from  their 
secret  hiding  places  the  lost  Esoteric  Sciences.* 
The  movement  for  World  Peace  is  irrevocably  be- 
gun —  an  essential  aspect  of  the  rise  of  modern 
Industry .^°  Kings  and  emperors  have  lost  their 
ancient  and  supreme  thrones.  The  Pope  has  lost 
his  temporal  authority.  Women  have  rapidly  arisen 
to  the  station  of  perfect  equality  with  men.  Psychic 
Research  has  become  an  authoritative  science. 
Submerged  economic  groups  press  determinedly 
on  for  their  right  to  education,  responsibility  and 
recreation.  As  many  more  "rays"  might  be  men- 
tioned.    Enough,  surely,  have  been  mentioned  to 


•  See  Appendix,  under  Science. 
'  See  Appendix,  Judaism. 

*See  Appendix,  under  Christian  Science  and  New  Thought. 
'See  Appendix,  under  Theosophy. 
See  Appendix,  under  Politics   and  Economics. 


10 


38  BAHAI 

show  clearly  enough  that  the  earth  of  consciousness 
has  been  bathed  in  the  Light  of  some  spiritual  Sun. 

Now  comparatively  few  people,  probably,  regis- 
tered in  full  consciousness  the  First  Point,  the 
manifestation  of  Love.  Probably  few  people  have 
consciously  registered  the  manifestation  of  divine 
Will,  the  Second  Point,  the  "rising  of  the  Sun  of 
Truth"  —  even  though  the  evidences  of  that  Sun 
are  everywhere  clear  as  day.  So  it  might  appear 
that  nothing  of  all  this  Revelation  has  actually  hap- 
pened: it  might  be  merely  the  result  of  a  general 
race  evolution,  a  diffusion  of  new  and  superior 
knowledge  from  the  operation  of  human  will  and 
human  understanding  alone. 

Or  so  it  might  appear,  at  least,  if  we  studied 
this  miraculous  situation  from  the  point  of  view  of 
any  one  "ray."  The  perfection  of  the  objective 
sciences  can  be  explained  in  terms  of  the  intelligent 
efforts  of  certain  men.  Likewise  the  development 
of  the  woman's  suffrage  movement  can  be  sho^vn 
to  derive  from  certain  definite  individual  leaders. 
In  exactly  the  same  way,  taking  the  rest  of  these 
extraordinary  new  manifestations  of  cosmic  con- 
sciousness one  by  one,  we  can  easily  eliminate  the 
divine  element  and  base  them  upon  the  human 
element  alone.  But  who  would  gain  any  slightest 
appreciation  of  the  power  of  the  physical  sun  if  he 
shut  himself  within  a  darkened  room  and  let  that 
sun  shine  in  upon  him  through  the  narrowest  aper- 
ture, one  ray  at  a  time? 


THE  COSMIC  TRINITY  39 

It  is  because  we  have  considered  these  modem 
movements  in  that  limited  way,  each  separated 
from  the  others,  all  separated  from  the  whole,  that 
we  have  failed  to  recognize  them  as  emanations  from 
one  Source,  rays,  as  it  were,  cast  by  one  and  the 
same  Sun  of  Truth.  The  darkness  of  our  conscious- 
ness has  limited  the  effects  of  that  Divine  Sun.  But 
only  let  them  pour  in  upon  the  soul  collectively  — 
only  emerge  from  that  darkness  of  mind  and  heart 
—  only  realize  how  in  Baha'o'llah  the  Glory  of  their 
combined  force  and  energy  was  manifested  —  then 
their  power  will  dazzle  the  mind.  For  these  mighty 
and  revolutionary  social  movements  of  the  last  and 
present  generation  are  each  but  a  single  ray  eman- 
ating from  the  Sun  behind  all  the  suns,  the  Sun 
of  Righteousness,  the  Sun  we  call  reverently  The 
Glory  of  God. 

Moreover,  as  our  cosmic  terminology  makes  so 
clear,  the  sun  is  not  only  limited  by  the  relative 
position  of  the  earth  as  a  whole, —  it  is  also  limited 
by  the  keenness  of  the  individual  person's  eyes.  If 
the  eyes  be  blind,  the  brightest  summer  sun  can 
pour  down  its  mightiest  light,  yet  to  that  sightless 
person  no  sun  will  nor  ever  can  exist.  The  dead- 
ening of  a  single  sensitive  nerve  center  has  the  effect 
of  shutting  out  the  solar  illumination  on  which  an 
entire  planetary  system  depends.  How  much  more 
is  the  light  of  Truth  made  darkness  and  rejection 
by  the  deadening  of  the  sensitive  centers  of  the  soul ! 

For  those  who  have  within  them  the  eye  of  spirit- 


40  BAHAI 

ual  vision,  the  cosmic  power  manifested  in  Baha'o'- 
llah  is  perceptible  enough.  They  carry  in  their  own 
conscious  souls  the  valid  proof  of  God.  They  re- 
quire neither  theology  nor  metaphysics,  neither 
priest  nor  professor,  to  inform  them  that  God  is. 
They  are  themselves  one  with  God,  in  the  sense  that 
the  eye  is  one  with  the  light  that  enters  it. 

Of  such  was  that  w^onderful  woman  wlio  arose 
in  the  night  from  her  bed,  moved  by  a  force  she 
could  not  explain,  and  wrote  as  from  dictation  that 
line  which  has  become  the  freedom  song  of  millions 
of  people  —  that  line  w4iich  then  seemed  metaphor, 
but  now  is  fact:  Mine  eyes  have  seen  the  glory  of 
the  coming  of  the  Lord!  Aye,  to  the  eye  that  is 
open  comes  its  own  beam  of  the  revealing  Sun. 
The  Glory  of  God  was  loiown  in  its  coming  to 
every  soul  possessing  the  faculty  of  vision. 

Of  such  w^as  that  other  American,  that  Plato, 
eloquent  in  the  eternal  porticos  of  truth, —  Emer- 
son. In  the  very  twilight  of  this  Spiritual  Day  he 
discerned  the  imminent  dawn.  "But  when  a  faith- 
ful thinker,  resolute  to  detach  every  object  from 
personal  relations  and  see  it  in  the  light  of  thought, 
shall,  at  the  same  time,  kindle  science  with  the  fire 
of  the  holiest  affections,  then  will  God  go  forth 
anew  into  the  creation." 

Discoverer  in  the  West  of  the  Oversoul,  that 
state  of  supreme  being  which  the  East  had  known 
for  ages  under  the  misinterpreted  name  of  ISTirvana, 
Emerson  seems  now  to  have  been  the  first  man  in 


THE  COSMIC  TRINITY  41 

whom  ordinary  people  could  see  science  and  re- 
ligion met,  blended  and  become  one ;  a  faithful  dis- 
ciple of  cosmic  Truth  while  yet  that  Truth  was  a 
sun  unrisen  to  the  sluggard  consciousness  of  man/^ 

Emerson,  in  fact,  gives  us  the  key  with  which 
science  can  unlock  the  mysteries  of  the  cosmos,  the 
key  whose  use  is  proof  that  the  analogy  employed 
in  this  book  for  the  purpose  of  explaining  the  Cos- 
mic Trinity  rests  upon  a  foundation  far  more  sub- 
stantial than  metaphor  or  figure  of  speech:  "Yet 
when  this  spiritual  light  shall  have  revealed  the 
law  of  more  earthly  natures  —  when  he  has  learned 
to  worship  the  soul,  and  to  see  that  the  natural 
philosophy  that  now  is,  is  only  the  first  gropings  of 
its  gigantic  hand,  he  shall  look  forward  to  an  ever 
expanding  knowledge  as  to  a  becoming  creator. 
He  shall  see  that  nature  is  the  opposite  of  the  soul, 
answering  to  it  part  for  part.  One  is  seal  and  one 
is  print.  Its  beauty  is  the  beauty  of  his  own  mind. 
Its  laws  are  the  laws  of  his  own  mind.  Nature  then 
becomes  to  him  the  measure  of  his  attainments. 
...  In  fine,  the  ancient  precept  Know  thyself, 
and  the  modern  precept  Study  nature,  become  at 
last  one  maxim." 

Of  such,  too,  were  many,  many  others  in  all 
parts  of  the  world,  each  testifying  in  his  own  words 


"  Recall  Walt  Whitman's  magnificent  "I  am  the  acme  of  things 
accomplished,  I  the  container  of  things  to  be!"  For  an  impressive 
record  of  human  progress  during  this  time,  read  The  Century  of 
Hope,  by  F.  S.  Marvin,  Clarendon  Press,  Oxford. 


42  BAHAI 

and  from  his  own  experience  to  the  daylight  that 
was  beginning  to  flood  the  earth  of  consciousness. 

There  is  no  time  nor  need  here  to  list  them  all. 
Baha'o'llah  has  said,  "I  have  filled  all  the  countries 
with  My  proofs,  were  ye  of  those  who  are  just!" 
Turn  back  yourself  to  the  History  of  the  Protestant 
Church,  and  realize  how  universal  was  the  convic- 
tion that  this  was  the  "time  of  the  end."  No  such 
trouble  has  fallen  upon  men's  souls  in  our  hemi- 
sphere since  that  *' Gothic  fear"  descended  upon 
Europe  centuries  ago,  that  fear  of  Judgment  which 
thus  negatively  testified  to  the  divine  authority  of 
Mohamet,  whose  shadows  fell  across  these  heedless 
lands.  For  that  spiritual  Sun,  at  each  of  its  risings, 
is  invisible  to  the  physical  eye.  Its  proofs  are  not 
manifest  to  those  who  look  only  with  the  animal 
mind. 

Now  as  my  purpose  is  only  to  suggest  how  per- 
fectly we  may  apply  the  new  cosmic  terminology 
to  the  understanding  of  this  new  cosmic  Truth,  I 
cannot  pause  here  to  mention  any  of  the  human  and 
historical  facts  concerning  Baha'o'llah,  confirmative 
though  they  are  of  His  Manifestation  in  the  Orb 
of  the  Sun  of  Truth.  To  the  objective  conscious- 
ness Baha'ollah  was  but  a  forty  year's  prisoner  in 
a  vile  Turkish  dungeon.  Yet  even  this  apparently 
impossible  degradation  of  divine,  or  cosmic  power, 
serves  as  a  significant  guide  post  in  our  inquiry 
after  spiritual  truth.  For  the  physical  destiny  and 
circumstances  of  each  of  the  world's  INIanifestations 


THE  COSMIC  TRINITY  43 

of  God,  each  Christ,  each  Buddha,  each  Moses,  is 
a  perfect  symbol  of  the  spiritual  condition  of  the 
world  at  the  time  and  place  He  manifests.  Christ 
was  crucified  because  the  souFs  consciousness  of 
love  was  then  crucified  in  the  majority  of  mankind. 
Baha'o'llah  underwent  this  confinement  to  show  us 
how  vile  is  the  confinement  we  ourselves  have  im- 
posed upon  the  Glory  in  our  o^^ti  souls.  The  utmost 
universality  of  power  and  truth  and  love  is  proved 
by  the  very  outward  physical  humility  which  leads 
so  many  people  to  reject  any  and  every  Manifesta- 
tion of  God. 

For  even  from  that  prison,  Baha'o'llah  sent  forth 
the  Creative  Word  to  all  lands,  an  ocean  of  utter- 
ance containing  what  the  cosmic  Will  has  estab- 
lished as  the  reality  of  all  things  during  the  next 
universal  cycle;  the  new  Bible  for  the  new,  spiritu- 
ally conscious  and  united  race. 


VI 

"The  Word  is  the  Fire  of  God  which,  glowing  in  the 
hearts  of  people,  burns  away  all  things  that  are  not  of  God. 
The  minds  of  the  lovers  are  ever  aflame  with  this  fire.  It  is 
the  essence  of  water,  which  has  manifested  itself  in  the  form 
of  fire.  Outwardly  it  is  the  burning  fire,  while  inwardly  it 
is  calm  light.  This  is  the  Water  that  giveth  Life  to  all 
things.'*  —  Baha'o'llah. 

The  heart  of  the  race  has  carried  up  from  very 
ancient  times  a  most  unusual  association  of  ideas 


M  BAHAI 

with  the  rainbow.  The  rainbow,  for  apparently  no 
good  reason,  has  been  considered  a  symbol  of  divine 
promise,  a  cosmic  record  of  the  Covenant  of  God 
with  man. 

This,  with  many  other  so-called  "superstitions," 
has  been  rigorously  explained  away  by  modern 
physical  science.  The  rainbow,  declares  the  physi- 
cist, is  nothing  but  the  refraction  of  the  sun's  rays 
through  myriad  drops  of  water  held  in  suspense  by 
the  earth's  atmosphere.  And  so  declaring,  finding 
the  rainbow  nothing  but  a  phenomenon  which  he 
himself  can  reproduce  in  his  own  laboratory,  the 
physicist  turns  away  to  discuss  more  useful  things. 

But  let  us  approach  this  apparently  simple  fact 
with  the  more  sensitive  apparatus  provided  by  our 
cosmic  terminology. 

The  sun,  we  know,  shines  upon  the  moon  as 
brightly  as  upon  the  earth.  But  the  moon  is  a  dead 
planet,  while  the  earth  teems  with  every  variety  of 
life.  What  is  the  difference?  Obviously,  the  one 
difference  is  that  the  earth  has  an  atmosphere,  while 
the  moon  has  none.  The  earth's  atmosphere  trans- 
mutes the  sun's  rays  —  its  invisible  heat  rays  — 
into  a  quite  different  element  from  fire  and  air  — 
the  new  element  water.  Hence  the  rain  which,  act- 
ing in  connection  with  the  sun's  light,  germinates 
the  seed  which  links  together  the  mysterious  chain 
of  existence. 

How  does  this  apply  to  the  Sun  of  Truth?  How 
is  this  a  proof  of  God? 


THE  COSMIC  TRINITY  45 

Let  us  realize  how  few  people,  comparatively 
speaking,  can  perceive  Love  directly  as  a  light  in 
the  inmost  heart.  Few  of  us  are  as  Emerson,  able 
to  discern  the  Sun  about  to  arise  in  the  twilight  of 
morning  stars.  Cosmic  Will  and  cosmic  Love,  so 
far,  remain  the  bounty  only  of  the  chosen  few.  But 
let  us  now  extend  the  influence  of  that  cosmic  Sun 
upon  existence,  just  as  we  have  already  extended 
the  action  of  the  physical  sun  in  its  function  of 
producing  rain. 

In  Abdul  Baha,  according  to  our  cosmic  science, 
we  have  the  Third  Point,  Knowledge,  which  to- 
gether with  the  Point  of  Love,  and  the  Point  of 
Will,  determines  the  plane  of  consciousness. 

Abdul  Baha  manifested  to  surround  the  earth 
of  consciousness  wdth  a  spiritual  atmosphere.  This 
atmosphere  translates  the  Light  of  Truth  into  the 
Water  of  Life.'"  This  atmosphere  is  the  "Most 
Great  Bounty,"  the  "Mystery  of  God"  making  our 
modern  Revelation  entirely  universal,  a  divine 
Cause  raised  above  names  and  forms,  destined  to 
become  the  very  foundation  of  human  existence  in 
all  lands. 

For  here  we  return  to  that  instinctive  spiritual 
faith  which  has  never  entirely  left  the  race,  even 
under  the  scourge  of  famine,  the  catastrophe  of 


"  The  Water  of  Life  is  that  spiritual  understanding  by  which  man 
is  able  to  grow  conscious  of  cosmic  Will,  to  live  therefore  according 
to  his  own  cosmic  Reality. 


46  BAHAI 

flood,  the  abomination  of  war  and  the  oppression 
of  poverty.  Like  a  seed  buried  deep  in  the  earth 
of  consciousness  this  faith  that  somehow,  sometime, 
man  was  and  once  more  will  be  divine  —  this  spirit- 
ual seed  has  persisted  from  generation  to  genera- 
tion, as  potent  in  the  heart  of  a  savage  as  in  the 
heart  of  a  king,  but  a  dry  seed,  an  unfertilized  seed, 
a  seed  hungering  and  thirsting  for  that  Water  of 
Life  which  should  burst  the  seed  open  and  disclose 
at  last  the  flower  of  love  and  the  fruit  of  perfection 
it  always  and  forever  contained.  Thus  is  the  rever- 
ence for  the  rainbow  justified  by  this  new  cosmic 
science,  since  in  the  rainbow  is  the  assurance  of 
the  rain,  and  in  the  rain  is  the  assurance  of  the 
seed. 

Think  now  of  Abdul  Baha  not  merely  as  the 
wisest  being  who  ever  walked  among  men  —  not 
merely  as  the  supreme  visible  exemplar  of  the 
power  of  unity  so  inexhaustible  that  it  unites  both 
East  and  West,  both  rich  and  poor,  both  black  and 
white,  both  ignorant  and  learned  in  one  outpouring 
devotion  and  inspiration  —  think  now  of  Abdul 
Baha  as  the  manifestation  of  cosmic  Knowledge, 
bringing  to  the  earth  of  consciousness  that  surround- 
ing atmosphere  able  to  transform  the  sterile  moon 
of  thought  into  a  fertile  world  of  joy,  of  peace,  of 
true  prosperity,  of  constant  progress,  of  firmly  knit 
co-operation  and  service  which  shall  truly  reveal 
God  as  the  Lord  of  all. 

In  the  words  of  Abdul  Baha  himself,  *'The  con- 


THE  COSMIC  TRINITY  47 

firmations  of  the  Spirit  are  pouring  like  spring  rains 
upon  all  parts  of  the  world." 

And  thus  it  is,  since  1892,  when  Abdul  Baha 
manifested  this  station  of  universal  Knowledge, 
the  Most  Great  Bounty,  the  human  heart  has  re- 
vived, become  more  aware  of  its  o^\^l  divine  possi- 
bilities, made  terrific  efforts  to  emerge  from  the 
prison  of  the  seed  into  the  freedom  and  beauty  and 
fruitfulness  of  the  tree.  Religious  prejudices  have 
grown  weaker.  Class  prejudices  have  grown 
weaker.  That  which  was  alien  and  unfriendly  has 
more  and  more  come  to  seem  familiar  and  accept- 
able. Proposals  like  woman's  political  rights,  a 
universal  language,  an  international  health  bureau, 
have  become  vital  problems  instead  of  —  in  com- 
parison with  the  past's  five  thousand  years — utterly 
unbelievable  hopes.  The  entire  political  and  eco- 
nomic structure  of  the  world  reels  and  staggers, 
conscious  that  some  irresistible  power  is  working  to 
transform  it  from  within.  Proposals  are  made 
every  day,  proposals  which  imply  knowledge  of  the 
laws  of  co-operation  unimaginable  even  fifty  years 
ago.  Once  again,  new  wine  cannot  be  poured  into 
the  old  containers. 

On  the  other  hand,  we  have  just  emerged  from 
the  World  War.  We  have  entered  a  period  of 
deep-rooted  economic  disturbance.  It  is  easier  than 
ever  before  in  modern  times,  perhaps,  to  banish  hope 
and  anticipate  the  reign  of  evil. 

Does  our  cosmic  terminology,  our  scientific  anal- 


48  BAHAI 

ogy,  answer  this  difficult  objection?  Indeed,  it 
answers  this  objection  as  clearly  as  it  answered  the 
objection  of  the  person  who  could  not  realize  the 
Sun  because  of  his  own  blinded  vision. 

For  the  bounty  of  the  rain,  likewise,  is  condi- 
tional upon  a  human  factor:  the  cultivation  of  the 
soil.  There  are  stony  places,  desert  places,  where 
the  rain  falls  but  these  places  bloom  not.  But  if 
the  Divine  Seed  was  deposited  in  every  human 
heart  at  the  beginning  of  the  world,  it  was  laid 
there  with  this  warning:  Cursed  is  the  soil  for  thy 
sake;  in  toil  shalt  thou  eat  of  it  all  the  days  of  thy 
life;  thorns  also  and  thistles  shall  it  bring  forth 
to  thee;   in  the  sweat  of  thy  brow  shalt  thou  eat 

bread. 

Idlest  of  child  legends  to  those  who  refer  these 
words  to  material  earth,  to  material  bread,  to  men 
of  insight  who  know  instinctively  that  earth  of  con- 
sciousness, and  bread  of  spiritual  understanding 
was  designated  by  this  cosmic  symbolism,  the  words 
are  significant  now  above  all  ancient  Words.  For 
how  and  why  do  some  deny  spiritual  truth,  unless 
they  have  failed  to  "  toil"  faithfully  upon  the  earth 
of  consciousness  in  time  or  times  past,  have  failed 
to  keep  out  the  thorns  and  thistles,  that  the  divine 
seed  might  grow?  And  how  and  why  do  others, 
though  so  few,  turn  faithfully  to  every  Manifesta- 
tion of  God  as  he  appears,  unless  these  few  have 
toiled,  have  cultivated,  have  eaten  of  the  bread  that 
nourishes  and  strengthens  the  soul? 


THE  COSMIC  TRINITY  4.9 

On  the  whole,  has  that  warning  been  heeded? 
Yet  how  can  the  water  of  Life  penetrate  and  burst 
open  the  divine  seed  where  the  soil  has  not  been 
cultivated,  where  the  thistles  are,  the  thistles  and 
the  stones? 

So,  clearly,  God  is  to  the  man  of  insight.  God 
is  to  the  man  of  conscious  aspiration,  though  that 
man  be  the  poor  fisherman  or  the  untutored  shep- 
herd. Can  God  be  to  him  who  has  neither  insight 
nor  aspiration?  The  Light  of  Truth  shines  upon 
him  in  vain.  The  Water  of  Life  descends  upon 
him  in  vain.  Thus  will  religion  continue  to  be  the 
reality  of  the  few,  the  supersition  of  the  many,  as 
religion  hitherto  has  always  been? 

If  we  accept  the  cosmic  significance  of  the  divine 
Will,  the  Will  drawing  the  earth  of  consciousness 
back  into  the  orbit  of  Reality,  we  can  admit  no 
obstacle  in  human  will  strong  enough  to  negate 
God's  purpose  with  His  own  creation.  So  we  may 
look  further  and  realize  another  cosmic  mystery  at 
work  —  the  mystery  of  pain. 

Abdul  Baha  has  declared  that  every  man  must 
accept  his  life  with  radiant  acquiescence.  How 
can  this  be,  if  life  is  so  much  pain :  pain  of  sickness, 
pain  of  misfortune,  pain  of  loneliness,  pain  of  mis- 
understanding, pain  of  frustration,  pain  of  old  age, 
pain  of  death? 

But  let  us  not  regard  pain  any  longer  from  the 
personal  point  of  view,  the  point  of  '^iew  of  animal 
self-preservation.     Cosmically,   'pain  is  the  plow 


60  BAHAI 

that  cultivates  the  neglected  earth  of  consciousness. 
Pain  accomplishes  for  a  man  that  which  he  himself 
has  neglected.  Pain  opens  the  earth  of  conscious- 
ness that  the  Divine  Seed  may  be  fertilized  by  the 
Water  of  Life.  Pain  clears  away  ruthlessly  the 
thorns  and  thistles  that  choke  the  life  of  the  grain 
whose  fruit  is  the  bread  of  knowledge.  Pain  is  the 
last  and  supreme  manifestation  of  cosmic  mystery 
in  the  world  of  man —  that  mystery  that  even  the 
animal  man,  even  the  perverted  man,  even  the  in- 
tellectualist,  hard  and  unyielding  as  granite,  can 
and  shall  eventually  acknowledge  in  himself,  by 
himself,  for  himself  that  verily  there  is  no  God 
save  He! 

So  it  is  we  cannot,  we  who  grow  aware  of  this 
cosmic  Trinity,  cannot  join  with  those  who  declare 
that  pain  and  poverty  are  mere  errors  of  "mind." 
Knowing  that  pain  and  poverty  are  unrealities  for 
him  who  has  truly  attained  the  fulness  of  spiritual 
rebirth  and  maturity,  we  yet  for  ourselves  still 
accept  pain  in  humility  as  a  sign  that  the  earth  of 
consciousness  still  requires  cultivation.  Not  by  the 
measure  of  our  own  will,  but  by  the  measure  of 
the  cosmic  Will,  do  we  desire  our  lives  to  be  ordered. 
How  can  we  tell  how  much  we  have  failed  to  hus- 
band the  Divine  Seed?  How  can  we  tell  how  much 
the  earth  of  consciousness  requires  cultivation?  Is 
not  any  and  all  self-satisfaction  the  evidence  of 
spiritual  death?  Therefore  is  pain  in  each  and 
every  form  a  cosmic  index,  referring  each  and  every 


THE  COSMIC  TRINITY  51 

man  to  the  full  measure  of  the  possibility  of  his 
further  progress. 

And  this  plow  of  pain  drives  deep  furrows  across 
the  world  to-day.  The  War  was  such  a  plowing. 
The  economic  crisis  is  such  a  plowing.  Those  who 
in  good  times  and  easy  circumstances  would  make 
no  slightest  effort  to  investigate  cosmic  Reality,  but 
would  be  content  with  animal  reality  —  they  are 
being  driven,  step  by  step,  to  a  point  where  they 
perforce  needs  make  a  new  and  positive  inquiry 
of  themselves  and  the  cosmos  in  which  they  live.^' 
For  the  all-dominant  Will  has  been  established: 
"I  will  that  My  Light  be  perfected."  The  innate 
virtues  of  man  are  now  to  appear  —  man's  true 
station  is  to  become  manifest. 


VII 

**The  greatest  attainment  of  man  is  universal  love,  for  this 
love  is  the  magnet  which  renders  existence  eternal,  attracts 
the  powers  of  reality,  and  suffuses  life  with  infinite  joy.  If 
this  love  penetrates  the  heart  of  man,  all  the  forces  of  the 
universe  will  be  realised  in  him,  for  it  is  a  divine  power  which 
endows  him  with  a  divine  station;  and  man  will  make  no  real 


"  "All  the  people  of  the  world  are  in  the  sleep  of  negligence.  They 
have  forgotten  God  altogether.  They  are  all  busy  in  war  and  strife. 
They  are  undergoing  misery  and  destruction.  Like  unto  loathsome 
worms,  they  are  trying  to  lodge  in  the  depths  of  the  ground,  while 
a  single  flood  of  rain  sweeps  all  their  nest  and  lodging  away.  Never- 
theless they  do  not  come  to  their  senses."  —  Abdul  Baha. 


62  BAHAI 

'progress  until  he  is  illumined  with  this  love  .  .  .  Alas,  alas! 
the  world  has  not  yet  discovered  the  reality  of  religion  hidden 
beneath  the  symbolic  forms!"  —  Abdul  Baha. 

We  all  recognize  the  physical  law  that  a  limb  or 
faculty  develops  through  exercise,  but  atrophies 
through  neglect  or  non-exertion  or  indifference. 
This  simple  principle  may  now  be  restated  as  fol- 
lows: that  a  limb  or  faculty  must  give  out  all  the 
energy  it  receives,  or  else  the  supply  of  energy 
will  be  cut  off.  So  stated,  it  is  easy  to  perceive 
that  this  law  is  the  very  foundation  of  that  new 
instinct  now  arising  throughout  the  world,  that  new 
instinct  or  attitude  we  call  "  service." 

The  instinct  to  heed  the  call  to  service  is  thus 
an  unconscious  recognition  that  only  "service"  gives 
out  spiritual  energy  (conscious  love)  in  a  manner 
which  keeps  open  the  sources  of  that  energy.  For 
every  service  implies  at  least  a  small  degree  of 
self-forgetfulness,  or  severance  from  the  physical 
personality,  and  unbars  the  door  to  cosmic  force. 

Looking  at  this  fact  from  a  more  general  point 
of  vieWj  another  condition  also  appears:  namely, 
that  service  tends  to  realize  on  the  visible  material 
plane  a  condition  perfectly  reflecting  the  cosmic 
force  the  service  derives  from.  And  when  such 
conditions  are  realized,  then  i^roofs  of  the  advantage 
of  so  doing  are  established  which  not  only  reinforce 
the  doer's  o^\ti  efforts,  but  bring  to  his  efforts  the 
services  of  others  who  have  been  stirred  and  at- 


THE  COSMIC  TRINITY  63 

traded  by  those  proofs.  It  is  the  old  story  over 
again,  of  building  a  dynamo  to  study  the  Elec- 
tricity, and  then  from  the  new  facts  about  Elec- 
tricity thus  acquired,  of  building  a  new  and  superior 
dynamo. 

The  dynamo  as  it  were  which  both  draws  upon 
and,  at  the  same  time,  permits  more  understanding 
of  cosmic  Reality,  is  the  spiritualized  human  con- 
sciousness. But  one  consciousness  by  itself,  in  its 
effects  upon  the  world,  is  a  small  and  weak  dynamo, 
while  unity  is  the  most  tremendous  dynamo  that 
can  be  imagined. 

Therefore  Abdul  Baha  defines  the  great  cosmic 
law  of  spiritual  growth  in  a  twofold  form.  He 
says  that  cosmic  Reality  unfolds  in  a  life  to  the 
degree  that  a  life  functions  service;"  and  he  says 
that  the  greatest  possible  service  any  life  can  render 
is  to  assist  in  the  promotion  of  human  unity  and 
solidarity  —  to  break  down  the  present  barriers  of 
creed,  race,  class  and  language:  which  is  to  promote 
the  Divine  Civilization. 

The  declaration  that  a  Divine  Civilization  can 
and  will  be  established  by  the  collective  efforts  of 
the  leaders  of  mankind  at  its  present  cycle  is  the  all- 


"  "There  is  no  such  thing  as  self -development;  the  power  of  the 
Spirit  only  comes  through  serving  others.  .  .  .  To-day  if  you 
teach  a  person,  it  is  as  though  you  had  resurrected  a  dead  soul  into 
life.  It  is  as  though  you  had  changed  stone  into  a  diamond.  It 
is  as  though  you  had  transmuted  metals  into  gold,  devils  into  angels, 
or  animals  into  men."  —  Abdul  Baha. 


54  BAHAI 

inclusive  principle,  the  most  abundant  inspiration, 
derived  from  a  study  of  the  works  of  Baha'o'llah 
and  Abdul  Baha.  Not  that  they  deem  the  earth- 
life  the  real  existence  of  man,  but  that  they 
lay  down  the  basic  axiom,  "all  progress  of  the  Spirit 
is  made  on  this  plane."^^ 

This  Divine  Civilization  —  a  social  order  per- 
fectly reflecting  cosmic  Reality  instead  of  the 
animal  reality  —  is  the  gift  or  service,  however,  of 
our  advanced,  cosmic  souls  to  those  souls  still  im- 
mersed in  physical  self.  It  is  not  the  triumph  of 
human  will  —  for  human  will  has  already  proved 
itself  the  destroyer  and  not  the  creator  of  Civiliza- 
tion. It  is  the  healing  which  the  enlightened  souls 
are  to  provide  for  those  still  bewildered  by  pain. 
It  is  the  responsibility  of  enlightened  souls  —  their 
cosmic  payment,  as  it  were,  for  the  bounty  they 
themselves  have  received  through  the  continual 
sacrifice  undertaken  by  the  divine  Manifestations. 


""In  the  beginning  of  his  life  man  was  in  the  matrix  of  the 
world.  There  he  obtained  capacity  and  preparation  for  this  world. 
.  .  .  In  this  world  he  needs  eyes:  he  received  them  potentially  in 
the  other  world.  He  needs  ears  —  therefore  he  obtained  them  in 
the  world  of  the  matrix.  .  .  ,  When  man  came  to  this  world 
he  found  all  the  necessary  forces  ready,  all  his  needs  for  material 
sustenance  provided.  Likewise  in  this  world  also  he  must  prepare 
himself  and  become  ready  for  the  life  hereafter.  That  which  he 
needs  in  the  world  of  the  Kingdom  he  nuist  obtain  here.  .  .  . 
In  that  world  there  is  need  of  radiance,  therefore  radiance  must  be 
acquired  in  this  world.  In  that  world  spirituality,  faith,  assurance, 
the  knowledge  and  love  of  God  are  essential.  These  he  must 
acquire  here."  —  Abdul  Baha. 


THE  COSMIC  TRINITY  65 

For  it  is  only  reasonable  to  suppose  that  what 
we  have  called  *'The  Cosmic  Trinity"  corresponds 
to  a  threefold  spiritual  reality  in  man,  in  ourselves. 

Now  man  has  usually  been  described  as  a  trinity 
of  soul,  mind  and  body.  This  "triangle"  is  known 
and  accepted  as  the  reality  of  man  throughout  the 
world.  But  in  the  statements  of  Abdul  Baha  —  the 
statements  defining  what  has  been  established  as 
human  reality  for  the  present  new  cycle  —  the 
trinity  mind,  soul  and  body  is  changed  to  a  higher 
trinity  —  soul,  mind  and  spirit. 

The  physical  body,  in  other  words,  is  no  longer 
to  be  accepted  as  establishing  any  aspect  or  portion 
of  the  reality  of  man.  It  now  becomes  for  man 
merely  the  vehicle,  the  dry  husk,  in  which  the  essen- 
tial spiritual  fruit  ripens.  Therefore  Abdul  Baha 
has  said:  *'Live  in  the  body  as  if  you  had  no  body." 

Let  us  determine  the  positive  meaning  in  these 
words.  From  now  on,^^  the  physical  life  of  emotion, 
and  that  low  thought  which  is  the  slave  of  emotion, 
has  been  relegated  to  a  lower  world,  the  world  of 
the  non-cosmic  perishable  man.  To-day  the  cosmic 
world  is  the  only  world  habitable  by  that  order  of 
being  worthy  the  title  man. 


16 


During  a  cycle,  so  far  as  the  whole  race  is  concerned,  of  be- 
tween four  and  five  hundred  thousand  years:  the  interval,  according 
to  Abdul  Baha,  between  two  Universal  Manifestations.  Approxi- 
mately four  hundred  thousand  years,  then,  is  the  difference  between 
the  truly  cosmic  man  and  the  animal  man  who  is  the  average  to-day. 
"Time  is  the  distance  between  two  states  of  consciousness." 


66  BAHAI 

But  it  is  impossible  to  imagine  existence  in  any 
of  the  worlds  of  God  without  something  correspond- 
ing to  the  physical  body  in  the  animal  world.  What, 
then,  is  to  be  termed  the  *'body"  fit  for  existence 
in  cosmic  reality,  when  this  flesh  body  dies?  From 
other  statements  of  Baha'o'llah  and  Abdul  Baha, 
I  take  it  to  be  individualized  cosmic  consciousness  — 
a  body  or  vehicle  composed  of  abstract,  impersonal, 
spiritualized  thought,  the  kind  of  thought  which 
constitutes  the  true  meditative  faculty. 

For  it  is  by  meditation  ^^  that  the  mind  turns 
from  physical  desire  and  the  thoughts  emanating 
from  physical  desire,  and  gradually  creates  a  new 
thought-body  from  the  conscious  substance  (the 
"radiance")  of  which  the  cosmic  world  is  composed. 

The  condition  is  clearly  stated  by  Abdul  Baha, 
and  can  be  summarized  as  follows:  a  mineral  ele- 
ment cannot  rise  above  the  mineral  plane  unless 
assimulated  by  a  vegetable  organism.  A  vegetable 
element  cannot  rise  above  the  vegetable  plane  un- 
less assimulated  by  an  animal  organism.  An  animal 
element  cannot  rise  above  the  animal  plane  unless 
assimulated  by  a  human  being.  The  human  being 
is  composed  of  the  three  lower  planes  or  kingdoms, 
with  their  attributes,  plus  a  new  attribute, —  in- 
tellect or  reason.  Even  as  such,  the  human  being 
is  entirely  mortal  until  assimulated  into  the  next 


""You  cannot  apply  the  name  man  to  any  being  devoid  of  this 
faculty  of  meditation."  —  Abdul  Baha.  (See  Chapter,  Two  Bahai 
Documents.) 


THE  COSMIC  TRINITY  67 

higher  plane,  or  cosmic  plane,  or  plane  of  Reality. 
But  man  cannot  ascend  into  this  plane  of  his  own 
effort  any  more  than  a  mineral  element  can  become 
vegetable  of  its  own  effort,  or  an  animal  element 
can  become  human  of  its  own  effort.  Abdul  Baha 
says:  "All  phenomena  can  be  divided  into  two 
classes,  that  which  eats  and  that  which  is  eaten." 
Now  the  Body,  as  it  were,  into  which  the  human 
being  must  be  assimulated  in  order  to  become 
spiritual  and  immortal,  is  Divine  Love.  But 
Divine  Love  is  only  brought  to  man  by  the  INIani- 
f estations  of  God.  It  is  through  faith  in  the  Mani- 
festations of  God  that  man  becomes  immortal,  at- 
tains Reality — and  through  these  alone^^  Imagine 
a  world  without  animals:  in  that  world  a  vegetable 
element  could  never  ascend.  In  the  same  way,  a 
.world  without  the  Manifestation  of  God  is  a  world 
in  which  man  could  never  ascend.  Man  would  be 
no  more  than  a  "thinking  animal,"  inconstant,  un- 
;real,  perishable.  The  sacrifice  by  which  the  Higher 
takes  on  the  flesh  of  the  lower,  bringing  to  man  the 
opportunity  of  being  assimulated  into  that  Higher, 
is  the  "Way,"  the  "Truth"  and  the  "Life."  To 
reject  that  Manifestation  is  to  reject  Life.    Hence 

"  "Certain  people  believe  that  the  virtues  of  humanity  are  obtain- 
able through  personal  capacity  alone,  but  it  is  evident  that  unless 
the  Divine  Grace  descends,  no  fruit  will  be  produced."  —  Abdul 
Baha.  But  on  the  cosmic  plane,  faith  is  not  a  form  of  obligation  — 
it  is  the  supreme  privilege.  Faith  is  to  the  soul  as  sunlight  to  the 
flower,  as  ocean  to  the  fish.  True  faith  is  that  consciousness  which 
accompanies  love. 


68  BAHAI 

do  the  Manifestations  come  in  each  cycle,  and  come 
again  and  again,  that  all  men  may  have  the  oppor- 
tunity of  choice,  of  exercising  free  will.  He  who 
desires  immortality  may  have  it ;  and  he  who  desires 
it  not  will  never  have  it  thrust  upon  him !  In  Abdul 
Baha's  words:  "All  is  subject  to  generation,  cor- 
ruption, disintegration  and  change,  except  the 
spirit  of  faith,  which  hath  both  restitution  and  re- 
turn." In  other  words,  the  physical  act  of  eating, 
whereby  animal  becomes  man,  merely  reflects  the 
Manifestation's  devotion  to  man,  or  the  desire  to 
elevate  man;  and  on  the  part  of  man  himself,  faith 
in  the  Manifestation  is  equivalent  to  the  "being 
eaten"  which  elevates  man. 

,  The  parable  of  the  new  wine  that  cannot  be 
poured  into  old  bottles  has  two  meanings,  an  outer 
meaning  and  an  inner  meaning.  The  outer  mean- 
ing is  that  each  successive  Revelation  brings  into 
the  world  a  spiritual  power  whose  expression  re- 
quires new  social  institutions;  whence  the  disinte- 
gration of  society,  and  its  consequent  integration 
on  a  higher  plane,  with  every  divine  Prophet. 

But  facts  apply  outwardly  merely  because  they 
first  apply  to  the  spiritual  constitution  of  man  him- 
self. Thus  the  real  meaning  of  the  above  parable 
is  that  the  Creative  Word  cannot  be  contained  in 
the  human  being  as  the  human  being  is  in  his  phys- 
ical state.  The  "old  bottle"  is  man  himself,  until 
man  has  transferred  his  consciousness  from  the 
physical  plane  of  emotional  brain-consciousness  to 


THE  COSMIC  TRINITY  69 

the  real  human  plane  of  intuitional  mind-con- 
sciousness. 

Now  while  the  purpose  of  this  book  is  strictly 
limited  to  the  one  intention  of  indicating  where  the 
Truth  may  be  found,  for  those  who  desire  to  find 
the  Truth,  something  may  perhaps  be  added  here 
concerning  the  real,  essential  nature  of  man  and  the 
true  relation  between  man  and  what  we  call  the 
Prophet,  Manifestation  or  INIaster. 

In  the  same  way  as  the  parable  of  the  new  wine 
has  two  meanings,  so  there  are  two  meanings  in  the 
idea  of  the  "seven  days  of  creation."  The  outer 
meaning  here  is  that  of  seven  cycles  —  but  time, 
on  the  spiritual  plane,  always  indicates  states  of 
consciousness  or  being.  Thus  the  inner  significance 
of  the  seven  creational  days  is  that  man  is  composed 
of  seven  aspects  or  principles,  one  aspect  or  prin- 
ciple predominating  in  each  cycle. 

As  man  appears  to-day,  he  is  manifesting  the 
fourth  aspect  or  principle  —  the  aspect  which  is 
midway  between  the  two  extremes. 

That  is,  below  man  there  are  three  planes  or 
kingdoms  —  mineral,  vegetable  and  animal  —  and 
above  man  there  are  likewise  three  planes  or  king- 
doms.^^  INIan  has  passed  upward  in  his  physical 
consciousness  and  identity  through  the  three  lower 
kingdoms,  and  is  a  synthesis  of  the  qualities  of 


"Abdul  Baha  calls  them  The  Supreme  Concourse,  the  Abha  King- 
dom, and  Christ's  House  of  Many  Mansions. 


60  BAHAI 

mineral,  vegetable  and  animal.  JNIan's  intelligence 
is  the  "meeting  place"  of  four  "realities:"  mineral, 
vegetable,  animal  and  rational  human.  But  man 
has  potentially  another  consciousness,  the  "heart 
consciousness,"  which  is  the  "meeting  place"  of  four 
very  different  "realities:"  the  spiritual  human,  the 
lowest  of  the  four,  and  three  others  to  which  the 
spiritual  human  state  leads. 

Functioning  as  he  is  midway  between  the  two 
extremes  of  spirit  and  matter,  with  consciousness 
habitually  turned  downward  to  the  three  lower  king- 
doms, man  of  himself  cannot  ascend  into  his  own 
divine  Reality  save  through  what  Abdul  Baha  calls 
the  "spirit  of  faith." 

The  manner  in  which  the  spirit  of  faith  —  faith 
in  the  Manifestation  of  God  —  causes  man  to 
ascend  from  the  natural  to  the  spiritual  conscious- 
ness, will  appear  from  Abdul  Baha's  analogy: 
"Compared  to  the  vegetable  kingdom,  the  mineral 
kingdom  is  dead,  but  a  mineral  element  ascends  to 
the  vegetable  condition  when  consumed  by  a  vege- 
table organism.  Compared  to  the  animal  kingdom, 
the  vegetable  kingdom  is  dead,  but  a  vegetable  ele- 
ment ascends  to  the  animal  condition  when  con- 
sumed by  an  animal  organism.  Compared  to  the 
human  kingdom,  the  animal  kingdom  is  dead,  but 
an  animal  element  ascends  to  the  human  condition 
when  consumed  by  a  human  organism.  In  the  same 
way,  the  human  kingdom  is  dead  compared  to  the 
spiritual  kingdom,  but  a  human  being  ascends  to 


THE  COSMIC  TRINITY  61 


that  spiritual  kingdom  when  consumed  by  the  fire 
of  the  love  of  God."  This  being  ''consumed"  is, 
for  man,  dependent  on  his  own  volition,  for  alone 
of  the  visible  creation,  man  has  free  will. 

But  the  Manifestation  of  God,  Who  comes  to  this 
plane  in  order  to  awaken  in  man  this  spirit  of  faith, 
this  fire  of  the  love  of  God,  does  not  represent  an 
arbitrary  external  force  or  principle,  but  on  the 
contrary,  what  the  INIanifestation  makes  manifest 
is  man's  own  spiritual  Reality.  Baha'o'llah  says: 
^'Whosoever  knows  himself,  knows  his  Lord." 
When  one  becomes  obedient  to  the  Prophet,  one 
becomes  obedient  to  one's  own  higher  Self.^* 

In  man  to-day,  therefore,  as  always,  there  is 
potentially  a  thought-body  suitable  to  embody  the 
perfections  which  the  Manifestation  discloses.  This 
thought-body  is  the  "new  bottle"  and  these  perfec- 
tions are  the  "new  wine."  This  spiritual  body  is 
not  given  to  man  merely  as  the  consequence  of 
physical  death,  but  man  acquires  it  only  as  the  re- 
sult of  his  own  voluntary  dying  in  the  physical  self 
and  rebirth  in  the  spiritual  Self. 

Consequently  the  physical  personality  which  is 
not  "consumed  by  the  fire  of  the  love  of  God"  has 
no  immortality,  for  man  is  as  the  animal  plus 
reason,  and  reason  in  itself  has  no  immortal  essence. 


""Unta  man  knows  God  he  is  deprived  of  knowing  himself,  for 
man  must  first  comprehend  the  Light  of  the  Sun,  and  through  the 
Light  witness  himself.     Without  light,  nothing  is  seen." 

^— Abdttl  B^ha. 


62  BAHAI 

Reason  is  but  the  instrument  by  which  the  will  can 
select  that  which  it  prefers  to  obey  —  nature  or 
God. 

Evolution,  to  be  understood,  must  be  traced  in 
two  separate  lines:  the  evolution  of  spirit  down- 
ward, and  the  evolution  of  matter  upward.^^  These 
two  lines  meet  in  man  —  when  man  by  the  spirit  of 
faith  raises  himself  from  the  animal  condition  to  the 
true  human  condition.  Spirit  evolves  downward 
in  order  to  acquire  identity.  INIatter  evolves  up- 
ward in  order  to  establish  this  identity  for  spirit. 
Thus  the  man  who  undergoes  "rebirth"  has  carried 
identity  to  the  plane  of  Reality,  whereby  he  becomes 
immortal  in  that  identity.  The  life  not  accomplish- 
ing this  essential  purpose  of  existence  is  not  lost 
as  to  Reality,  but  is  lost  as  to  its  own  personality  — 
for  personality  is  the  negative  pole  of  identity.  The 
non-spiritualized  personality  disintegrates,  where- 
upon the  Reality  continues  its  evolution  through 
a  new  physical  vehicle.  The  popular  idea  of 
^'Reincarnation"  is  untrue,  because  it  glorifies  the 
physical  personality.  On  the  other  hand,  a  con- 
tinuity does  exist  from  personality  to  personality, 
but  it  exists  entirely  from  and  in  the  spiritual  Self. 


""There  is  reincai nation  of  matter,  and  there  is  reincarnation  of 
spirit.  Reincarnation  of  matter  is  the  process  whereby  matter  is 
developed  or  evolved  through  its  service  as  the  substance  of  series 
of  developing  material  forms.  Reincarnation  of  spirit  is  the  pro- 
cess whereby  spirit  develops  or  evolves  through  its  association  with 
these  forms.  .  .  .  The  evolution  of  spirit  proceeds  co-ordinately 
with  the  evolution  of  matter."  —  Abdul  Baha. 


THE  COSMIC  TRINITY  63 

It  is  this  continuity  —  absolutely  unlaiowable  to 
our  physical,  personal  consciousness  —  which  de- 
termines every  man's  character  and  experience  in 
accordance  with  his  own  (spiritual)  Will.  Thus 
there  is  no  injustice  in  the  world,  since  each  of  us 
suffers  or  enjoys  that  which  each  one  requires  in  ac- 
cordance with  his  own  volitional  destiny.  But  this 
aspect  of  existence,  in  the  Bahai  Teaching,  is  con- 
stantly merged  into  another  aspect:  the  oneness  of 
humanity. 

This  question  of  immortality  before  as  well  as 
after  physical  existence  on  this  planet  is  significantly 
handled  by  Abdul  Baha  in  the  following  brief  ex- 
planation. "These  spirits  (vegetable,  animal  and 
human)  are  not  reckoned  as  Spirit  in  the  termi- 
nology of  the  Scriptures  and  the  usage  of  the  people 
of  Truth,  inasmuch  as  the  laws  governing  them  are 
the  same  as  the  laws  which  govern  all  other  phenom- 
enal being  with  respect  to  generation  and  corruption 
and  change  and  reversion,  as  is  clearly  indicated  in 
the  Gospel  where  it  says  *Let  the  dead  bury  their 
dead.'  'That  which  is  born  of  the  flesh  is  flesh,  and 
that  which  is  born  of  the  Spirit  is  Spirit.' 

*'In  brief,  for  these  three  spirits  there  is  no  restitu- 
tion or  return,  but  they  are  subject  to  reversion  and 
generation  and  corruption. 

"But  the  Spirit  of  Faith,  which  is  of  the  kingdom 
of  God,  consists  of  the  all-comprehending  grace  and 
the  perfect  attainment,  the  power  of  sanctity  and 
the  divine  effulgence  from  the  Sun  of  Truth  on 


64.  BAHAI 

luminous,  light-seeking  essences,  from  the  presence 
of  Divine  Unity.  And  by  this  Spirit  is  the  life  of 
the  spirit  of  man,  when  it  is  fortified  thereby,  as 
Christ  (to  whom  be  Glory!)  saith:  'That  which  is 
born  of  the  Spirit  is  Spirit.'  And  this  Spirit  hath 
both  restitution  and  return,  inasmuch  as  it  consists 
of  the  light  of  God  and  the  unconditioned  grace. 
So,  having  regard  to  this  state  and  station,  Christ 
announced  that  John  the  Baptist  was  Elias  Svho 
was  for  to  come'  before  Christ.  And  the  likeness 
of  this  station  is  as  of  lamps  lighted  one  from  an- 
other: for  these,  in  respect  to  their  glasses  and  oil- 
holders,  are  different,  but  in  respect  to  their  light, 
One,  and  in  respect  to  their  illumination,  One  — 
nay,  each  is  identical  with  the  other,  without  impu- 
tation of  plurality,  or  diversity,  or  multiplicity,  or 
separateness. 

"This  is  the  truth,  and  beyond  the  truth  there  is 
only  error." 

Baha'o'llah  says:  "In  this  valley  (plane  of 
spiritual  develoj)ment)  through  absolute  vision,  a 
traveler  does  not  see  in  God's  creation  any  differ- 
ence or  contradiction.  .  .  .  He  will  see  justice 
in  injustice,  and  witness  grace  in  justice;  he  will 
find  many  a  laiowledge  concealed  in  ignorance  and 
realize  a  hundred  thousand  wisdoms,  manifest  and 
evident,  in  knowledges.  He  will  break  the  cage  of 
body  and  desire,  and  be  attached  to  the  spirit  of 
the  people  of  immortality.  .  .  .  If  he  experi- 
ences any  oppression  he  will  endure  it  with  patience, 


THE  COSMIC  TRINITY  66 

and  if  he  sees  any  wrath  he  will  show  forth  affec- 
tion. .  .  .  As  the  travelers  in  the  Garden  of 
Knowledge  see  the  end  from  the  beginning,  they 
therefore  find  peace  in  war  and  reconciliation  in 
estrangement!     .    .    . 

"He  sees  no  commendation,  name  or  dignity  of 
himself;  he  sees  his  own  commendation  in  the  com- 
mendation of  the  True  One,  and  beholds  the  Name 
of  the  True  One  in  his  own  name.    .     .     . 

"All  the  differences  which  the  traveler  sees  in  the 
world  of  Being,  during  the  various  stages  of  his 
journey,  are  due  to  the  vision  of  the  traveler 
himself. 

"Consider  the  phenomenal  sun  which  shines  forth 
on  all  existent  and  contingent  beings  with  the  same 
effulgence,  and  pours  light  upon  all  things  by  the 
command  of  the  King  of  Manifestation.  But  its 
appearance  in  every  place,  and  the  light  it  sheds 
thereon,  is  in  accord  with  the  degree  of  the  capacity 
of  that  place.  For  instance  —  in  a  mirror  it  reflects 
as  forms  and  disks,  and  this  is  due  to  the  clearness 
of  the  mirror  itself.  It  creates  fire  in  the  crystal, 
while  on  other  things  only  the  effect  of  its  reflection 
is  manifest  and  not  its  disk ;  and  through  that  effect, 
it  develops  everything  according  to  the  capacity 
of  that  thing,  by  the  command  of  the  Causer  of 
effects,  even  as  you  see.  .  .  .  And  if  the  place 
is  confronted  by  an  obstacle,  such  as  walls  or  ceiling, 
that  place  is  entirely  bereft  of  the  splendor  of 
the  sun,  and  the  sun  does  not  shine  thereon. 


66  BAHAI 

"Thus,  some  of  the  weak  souls,  having  enclosed 
the  earth  of  Knowledge  within  the  wall  of  self  and 
desire,  and  within  the  veil  of  heedlessness  and  blind- 
ness, are  therefore  screened  from  the  effulgence  of 
the  Sun  of  Significances  and  the  mysteries  of  the 
Eternal,  Beloved  One.  .  .  .  This  is  the  state  of 
the  people  of  the  age! 

"It  is  due  to  such  a  view  of  things  that  conflict 
is  stirred  up  among  mankind,  and  a  gloomy  dust 
arising  from  men  of  limitation,  has  enveloped  the 
world.  .  .  .  Mysteries  are  many,  and  strangers 
are  countless.  Knowledge  is  but  one  point,  but  the 
ignorant  have  multiplied  it." 

Thus  we  perceive  the  final  meeting  of  Science 
and  Religion  in  the  Universal  Manifestation  of 
Baha'o'llah,  perfected  in  the  devotion  of  Abdul 
Baha  —  the  final  meeting  of  those  two  streams  of 
aspiration  and  consciousness,  the  two  streams  that 
came  down  through  the  Saviors  on  one  side,  and 
through  the  so-called  "Mysteries"  on  the  other. 
Up  to  this  very  day.  The  Day  of  God,  the  two 
streams  have  flowed  in  separate  channels  as  separate 
experiences,  separate  purposes,  separate  obliga- 
tions, separate  organizations,  except  for  the  very, 
very  few.  Paul  of  Tarsus  is  an  example  of  a  man 
who  bridged  the  chasm  between  Occult  Science  and 
Divine  Revelation.  Bruno  is  another  example. 
Paracelsus  is  another.  And  now  the  two  streams 
are  met  and  flow  together  in  perfect  solution  —  for 
those  who  know !  —  throughout  all  time. 


THE  COSMIC  TRINITY  67 

To-day,  therefore,  we  may  presuppose  a  kind  of 
being  who  functions  on  the  plane  of  Reality,  while 
still  inhabiting  the  flesh.  Such  a  person  will  move 
among  men  possessed  of  a  power  they  can  neither 
comprehend,  control  nor  oppose.  As  imagination 
and  reason  transcend  bodily  arms  and  legs,  encom- 
passing the  world  and  affecting  nations,  so  are  the 
limbs  of  the  thought-body  in  their  influence  upon 
mankind.^^ 

It  is  by  such  men  and  w^omen  that  the  Divine 
Civilization  will  be  established  in  the  human  world. 
It  is  to  awaken  those  who  are  even  now  such  men 


""The  highest  expression  of  the  life  of  man  on  this  planet  in 
this  age  and  many  ages  to  come  is  Celestial:  that  is,  to  live  and 
act  in  accord  with  the  teachings  of  Baha'o'llah  and  be  steadfast  in 
the  love  of  Abdul  Baha.  The  principles  of  the  Religion  of  the 
Blessed  Perfection  adorn  the  spirit  with  the  highest  attributes  of 
the  Kingdom  of  Abha,  illumine  the  heart  with  the  Sun  of  the  love 
of  God,  make  him  a  servant  of  the  world  of  humanity,  a  standard 
bearer  of  Universal  Peace,  and  an  orb  shining  from  the  heaven  of 
righteousness. 

"He  forgets  himself  and  lives  in  the  flow  of  the  love  of  the  True 
One.  He  embraces  all  mankind  with  an  ineffable  tenderness,  and 
strives  night  and  day  to  serve  his  fellowman.  He  becomes  a  herald 
of  the  Supreme  Concourse  and  wins  the  good  pleasure  of  the  Lord 
of  Hosts.  He  will  be  attracted  with  the  love  of  the  Beloved,  and 
immerse  his  whole  being  in  the  ocean  of  humility  and  meekness. 
He  will  enlist  himself  in  the  army  of  human  progress  and  limitless 
advancement  of  the  race.  Through  his  zeal,  he  will  sacrifice  every- 
thing in  the  path  of  God,  and  quaff  from  the  chalice  of  eternal  life. 

"This  is  the  most  glorious  Bounty  of  this  age.  This  is  the  bestowal 
of  the  Bahai  Circle  (round  of  spiritual  evolution).  This  is  the 
light  that  illumines  every  heart.  This  is  the  water  that  allays  every 
thirsty  one,  the  Divine  Elixir  that  changes  man  into  the  image  and 
likness  of  Almighty  God."  —  Abdul  Baha. 


68  BAHAI 

and  women  in  latency  that  the  Manifestation  of 
God  has  appeared  at  the  present  time,  establishing 
the  Spiritual  World  in  this  world,  and  summoning 
the  Si)iritual  Race  to  raise  up  a  Divine  Civilization. 

Not  for  themselves  will  the  Divine  Civilization 
be  established, —  not  for  their  own  comfort,  nor 
ease,  nor  well  being,  nor  glory,  nor  reward  —  but 
it  will  be  established  by  them  in  full  consciousness 
that  they  are  serving  the  Will,  the  Knowledge  and 
the  Love  already  since  the  eternity  of  eternities  so 
abundantly  serving  them. 

Yes,  the  final  proof  of  God,  the  proof  which  not 
even  the  sensualist  or  the  sceptic  can  deny,  is  the 
evidence  furnished  by  Divine  Civilization.  Here 
at  last,  in  a  visible  world  order  where  Light  brings 
more  material  well  being  than  Darkness,  where 
Love  succeeds  in  every  task  at  which  Hate  has 
failed  —  here  at  last  we  have  a  proof  valid  even  at 
the  bottom  of  the  arc  of  descent  ;^^  a  proof  accept- 
able to  those  who  still  derive  their  reality  from  the 
natural,  or  material  world.  These  are  they  who 
still  gaze  downward  into  the  world  of  animal  and 
mineral  wealth.  God  —  or  the  cosmic  Reality  we 
have  learned  to  recognize  through  His  Manifesta- 
tion —  God  cannot  penetrate  to  their  dense  material 
world.  Therefore  those  men  and  women  who  have, 
while  still  physically  members  of  that  world,  at- 


"  "Mankind  has   reached  the  bottom  of  the   arc  of  descent  and 
has  begun  to  rise  upon  the  arc  of  ascent."  —  Abdul  Baha. 


THE  COSMIC  TRINITY  69 

tained  to  the  use  of  cosmic  powers,  are  alone  able 
to  establish  spiritual  causes  whose  effects  are  per- 
ceptible in  the  cloudy  mirror,  self. 

To  such  people,  life  is  no  longer  as  a  toy  for  the 
idle,  a  prize  for  the  ambitious,  an  experiment  for 
the  speculative,  an  affliction  to  the  weak,  or  an  opiate 
for  the  fool.    In  every  atom,  even  to  the  reach  of 
the  farthest  stars,  the  universe  has  been  trans- 
figurated  —  where  there  was  space,  there  is  Will; 
where  there  was  time,  there  is  Attainment.    Theirs 
is  an  intelligible  Mystery, —  the  unity  of  all  things 
in  the  creative  plan  of  God.    Theirs  is  a  Redemp- 
tion acceptable  to  reason,  in  that  all  things  are 
intervals  upon  the  one  sublime  Path.    In  man  and 
without,  they  read  the  eternal  symbols  understand- 
ingly,  in  the  Light  of  the  rays  of  the  Sun  of  Truth. 
For  them,  the  pyramid  of  society  built  up  of  stone 
and  steel  by  the  animal  man  has  dissolved  like  a 
mirage  or  a  dream.    Quietly,  calmly,  without  vio- 
lence, they  prepare  to  overcome  violence  by  the  un- 
tried weapon  of  faith.    From  country  to  country, 
from  race  to  race,  from  class  to  class  like  the  reflec- 
tion of  swift  light,  their  mutual  recognition  bands 
them  into  an  army  which  shall  conquer  the  world. 
This  is  the  Day  of  God.    This  is  the  day  when  that 
which  is  physical  yields  to  that  which  is  cosmic. 
This  is  the  day  when  self-centered  interests  lose 
their  age-long  control.    Religions  shall  be  united  in 
this  day.    Nations  shall  find  harmony  in  this  day. 
By  the  realization  that  work  is  a  form  of  prayer, 


70  BAHAI 

an  aspect  of  devotion  as  well  as  service,  shall  the 
chains  of  economic  servitude  and  helplessness  in 
this  day  at  last  be  broken.  By  the  realization  that 
prayer  brings  the  true  wealth  —  the  enrichment  of 
the  spirit,  the  consciousness  of  the  mind  —  shall 
brotherhood  at  last  be  brought  to  reign. 

Around  the  life  and  teachings  of  Abdul  Baha  the 
world's  spiritual  forces  gather  perceptibly  day  by 
day.  Here  at  last  the  world  has  one  collective 
center  which  is  truly  neutral  to  all  personal  or  group 
interests,  truly  responsive  to  all  interests  awake  to 
the  welfare  of  all.  By  word  and  by  deed  his  miracles 
are  daily  performed:  the  healing  of  the  soul's  blind- 
ness, and  the  raising  of  those  spiritually  dead.  He 
alone  is  able  to  reconcile  divergent  theories,  as  con- 
flicting wills;  able  to  unify  separate  traditions,  as 
separate  aims;  able  to  interpret  different  truths, 
as  different  garments  which  the  one  Truth  has  as- 
sumed. 

Time,  that  heals  the  wounds  of  war,  though  it 
brings  a  new  and  more  grevious  hurt,  has  never 
healed  the  inner  pain  of  doubt  by  which  man  is 
tormented,  a  Daniel  flung  in  the  den  of  his  own 
reckless  will.  Even  this  source  of  all  hurt  —  the 
cleavage  between  thought  and  will,  dream  and  deed 
—  Abdul  Baha  removes.  He  is  that  mirror  wherein 
every  man  may  see  reflected  his  ovm.  perfection,  but 
reflected  for  the  first  time  in  the  image  of  all  man- 
kind. He  is  that  mirror  wherein  science  and  re- 
ligion, economics  and  government,  action  and  phil- 


THE  COSMIC  TRINITY  71 

osophy  shine  radiantly  forth,  in  one  augmented 
likeness  and  form.  He  is  that  mirror  that  turns 
equally  to  the  East  and  the  West;  equally  to  man 
and  woman;  equally  to  here  and  hereafter. 

Few  of  those  whose  lives  have  touched  this  life 
for  a  single  hour  have  remained  unchanged.  By 
his  ]\Ianifestation  it  is  possible  to  realize  through 
logic  as  through  faith,  that  a  heart  of  man  can  be 
the  temple  in  which  the  unknowable  God  can  dwell 
and  be  known.  For  of  that  Cosmic  Trinity  this 
Point  is  the  point  of  fulfilment,  the  meeting  of 
universal  Purpose  with  the  upturned  mind  of  man. 
Love,  Will  and  Knowledge:  these  that  were  Three 
are  One. 

''Abdul  Baha,  the  Servant  of  BaJia,  has  clad 
Himself  in  the  mantle  of  Servitude  and  Devotion, 
for  the  beloved  of  El-Baha;  truly,  this  is  a  Great 
Victory^ 

This  is  the  Message  which  is  "pervading  the 
universe"  where  the  soul  lives.  This  is  the  awaken- 
ing of  those  who  still  slumber  on  the  "couch  of 
negligence."  This  is  the  meaning  of  that  spirit  of 
the  age  at  whose  touch  thrones  topple,  armies  move, 
sciences  change,  nations  struggle,  past  cycles  are 
revealed  and  future  cycles  unfolded.  This  is  the 
Command  breathed  into  the  organized  social  world, 
w^hereby  old  ties  dissolve,  old  superstitions  weaken, 
old  fears  vanish,  old  customs  pass  forever  away. 
This  is  the  Summons  heard  by  all  of  pure  heart  and 
visioning  mind,  whereby  they  depart  from  that  old 


72  BAHAI 

attachment  which  is  physical,  and  being  physical 
is  dead,  and  enter  into  this  new  Cause,  sons  and 
daughters  of  the  One  God,  brothers  and  sisters  in 
the  One  Humanity  —  spiritualized  mankind. 

For  these  pure  hearts  and  visioning  minds  know 
that  in  the  Seed  of  Faith  lies  latent  the  Tree  of 
Knowledge,  in  the  Eye  of  Wisdom  falls  the  Light 
of  Love.  Like  the  sun  in  the  skies  of  March,  they 
recognize  and  hail  the  renewing  power  of  the  Sun 
of  Truth  in  this  universal  spiritual  springtime. 
They  behold  everywhere  the  cultivation  of  the  earth 
of  consciousness.  Everyw^here  they  feel  the  soft, 
descending  rain  of  Confirmation  by  which  the  souFs 
long  winter  is  at  last  destroyed  from  the  entire  sur- 
face of  the  w^orld. 

*'We  beg  of  God  that  we  may  partake  of  this 
life-giving  Water  of  Heaven  and  quaff  from  the 
Spiritual  Chalice  of  repose,  and  thus  he  free  from 
all  that  tends  to  withhold  us  from  approaching  His 
Love.    Glory  he  upon  the  people  of  Glory!" 

—  Baha'o'llah. 


*'If  God  had  not  filled  His  Servant  with  His 
Love,  Love  would  never  have  been  realized  in  the 
creation.  All  is  therefore  from  Him,  and  is  His  — 
man  in  himself  possesses  nothing.  But  the  rays  of 
Love  having  shone  from  the  True  One  to  the  crea- 
tion, the  great  signs  thereof  are  imprinted  upon 
clear  and  luminous  hearts;  and  as  these  mirror- 
hearts  meet,  reflecting  this  sublime  light.  Love,  it 
becomes  manifest  from  creature  to  creature.  For 
God  hath  put  harmony  in  their  hearts," 

—  Abdul  Baha. 


THE      BAHAI      MESSAGE      TO 
CHRISTIANITY 

Nowhere  in  the  world  to-day  is  such  reverence 
paid  to  Christ,  such  devotion  felt  for  the  spirit  of 
Christ,  such  fidelity  of  thought  and  action  rendered 
the  teachings  of  Christ,  as  among  those  w^ho  have 
earned  the  right  to  call  themselves  Bahais  — 
followers  of  Abdul  Baha. 

The  question  which  so  naturally  arises  among 
people  born  and  reared  in  the  Christian  tradition: 
what  is  the  relation  between  the  Bahai  Movement 
and  Christianity?  has  its  answer,  both  logical  and 
satisfactory  to  the  loyal  Christian. 

Abdul  Baha  makes  us  realize  the  universality  of 
truth,  of  power  and  of  love  which  manifested  in 
Jesus  as  the  Christ,  the  logos  or  the  Word  of  God. 
Universal  in  itself,  eternal  and  unchanging  on  the 
plane  of  spirit,  that  Revelation  was  nevertheless 
necessarily  limited  in  its  outer  expression  and  influ- 
ence by  the  conditions  of  the  environment  and  age. 
We  must  accordingly  perceive  Christianity  in  a 
dual  aspect:  one  aspect,  the  spiritual,  being  eternal; 
the  other  aspect,  the  action  of  the  first  upon  the 
world,  being  subject  to  change.  The  one  represents 
Reality,  the  other  represents  hum-an  belief,  human 

activity,  human  emotion. 

n 


THE  BAHAI  MESSAGE  TO  CHRISTIANITY     75 

Therefore,  if  we  could  rise  to  the  plane  of  abso- 
lute universality,  we  should  transcend  the  limited 
effects  of  that  Revelation,  and  understana  its  time- 
less and  placeless  cause.  We  should  learn  to  dis- 
tinguish more  and  more  clearly  between  loyalty  to 
and  knowledge  of  the  Christ,  and  loyalty  to  and 
knowledge  of  the  humanized  institutions  called 
Christianity.  The  soul  cannot  accept  the  Christ  — 
the  spirit  of  love  —  and  a  man-made  doctrine  and 
ritual  which  Jesus  never  dreamed  of  —  at  the  same 
time.  Wliile  the  name  "Christianity"  apparently 
includes  and  reconciles  both  these  extremes,  as  a 
matter  of  fact  it  does  not.  In  moments  of  vital 
decision,  one  consciously  or  otherwise  accepts  the 
one  and  rejects  the  other,  for  they  are  irreconcilable; 
even  as  are  claims  of  body  and  soul. 

What  Abdul  Baha  has  accomplished  for  his 
Christian  followers  is  to  make  real  once  more  the 
divine  outpouring  of  love  which  the  Christ  mani- 
fested but  the  world  has  obscured.  It  is  as  though 
we  stood  once  more  among  those  who  heard  the 
Sermon  on  the  Mount,  and  were  penetrated  by  that 
innate,  creative  Word  —  all  the  dreary  conflicts  of 
the  creeds  and  churches  forgotten,  the  accumulated 
philosophies  and  doctrines  swept  away,  the  sacra- 
ments unwanted  in  the  presence  of  that  which  is 
Sanctity  itself. 

But  this  time,  happily,  the  renewal  of  the  Word 
finds  mankind  better  prepared  to  understand  its 
eternal  validity  and  its  universal  application.    We 


76  BAHAI 

can  accept  to-day  a  re-statement  of  Love  which  in- 
cludes all  humanity.  We  can  accept  a  message 
about  God  which  demands  not  blind  obedience,  irre- 
spective of  reason,  but  conscious  co-operation,  in- 
spiring the  mind  to  its  very  limits  of  capacity.  We 
can  understand  a  teaching  which  brings  the  spirit 
of  democracy  into  religion,  making  all  men  and 
women  equal  in  privilege  even  as  they  are  equal 
in  responsibility. 

As  a  matter  of  fact,  the  inmost  purpose  of  the 
New  Testament  is  to  establish  a  standard  of  truth 
by  which  men  might  guide  their  lives  and  discrim- 
inate between  spiritual  and  material  influences.  The 
New  Testament  —  developing  the  theme  of  the 
Old  Testament  —  is  a  preparation  for  the  Day  of 
God.  What  is  Resurrection,  if  not  resurrection 
from  the  grave  of  the  flesh  into  the  heaven  of  con- 
scious spiritual  knowledge?  What  is  Judgment, 
if  not  that  daily  sorting  out  of  the  materially  minded 
from  the  pure  hearted  people  which  results  from 
the  conscious  and  unconscious  preferences  of  each? 
The  Bahai  Movement  comes  at  the  end  of  a  long 
historic  cycle,  fulfilling  the  inner  aspirations  of  the 
pure,  and  in  doing  so,  denying  the  claims  of  the 
worldly.  In  the  words  of  Abdul  Baha:  "This 
Cause  is  the  same  as  the  Cause  of  Christ,  but  re- 
vealed in  accordance  with  the  maturity  of  the 
world." 

The  existence  of  humanity  at  this  hour  is  in 
great  danger.     The  universal  authority  of  love  as 


THE  BAHAI  MESSAGE  TO  CHRISTIANITY     77 

the  basis  of  human  life  —  political,  economic  and 
scientific  as  well  as  moral  —  has  been  denied 
through  ages  and  cycles.  We  perceive  the  effects 
of  this  denial  throughout  the  world  to-day.  Some 
point  of  collective  unity  and  harmony  there  must 
be.  Some  standard  of  Reality  there  must  be.  Some 
nucleus  of  sacrifice  and  service  there  must  be. 

It  is  the  utmost  hope  of  every  Bahai  that  the 
message  of  love  may  be  spread  throughout  the 
world,  reconciling  the  nations,  the  classes  and  the 
creeds;  and  that  the  Covenant  of  God  be  remem- 
bered, the  promises  of  God  recalled,  the  principles 
of  God  comprehended,  the  knowledge  of  God 
sought  as  the  treasure  of  life  and  the  purpose  of 
existence.  *'For  there  shall  come  a  famine  upon 
the  land ;  a  famine  not  of  bread  nor  of  water,  but  a 
famine  of  hearing  the  words  of  the  Lord." 

Baha'o'lloh  wrote  a  separate  Tablet  to  each  of 
the  world's  great  religions.  From  the  Tablet  ad- 
dressed to  the  Christians  I  quote  these  passages : 

"Say:  O  Concourse  of  the  Son!  Are  ye  hidden 
from  INIyself  because  of  ]My  Name?  What  maketh 
ye  to  doubt?  Ye  have  called  for  your  Lord,  the 
Self-Dependent,  night  and  day  and  when  He  hath 
come  from  the  Heaven  of  Pre-Existence,  in  His 
Greatest  Glory,  ye  have  not  approached  Him,  and 
were  of  the  heedless.  Then  consider  those  who 
turned  away  from  the  Spirit  (Christ)  when  He 
came  to  them  with  manifest  power.  How  many 
of  the  Pharisees  were  abiding  in  the  Temples  in 


78  BAHAI 

His  Name,  and  were  entreating  because  of  His 
separation!  But  when  the  Gate  of  Union  was 
opened  and  the  Light  shone  forth  from  the  Day- 
Si3ring  of  Beauty,  they  disbelieved  in  God,  the  Ex- 
alted, the  Great,  and  did  not  attain  to  His  visitation, 
after  having  been  promised  thereto  in  the  Book  of 
Isaiah,  as  well  as  in  the  Books  of  the  Prophets  and 
the  Apostles.  No  one  of  them  approached  the  Day- 
Spring  of  Favor  except  those  who  were  of  no  ac- 
count among  the  people,  but  in  whose  names  all  the 
lords  of  evident  honor  boast  at  the  present  day. 
Remember,  the  most  learned  doctors  of  His  country 
in  His  age  condemned  Him  to  be  killed,  whilst  one 
who  was  a  catcher  of  fishes  believed  in  Him.  Be 
astonished  thereat  and  be  of  those  who  remember ! 

"Likewise  look  at  this  time.  How  many  monks 
were  abiding  in  churches  and  were  calling  for  the 
Spirit,  and  when  He  came  in  truth  they  approached 
Him  not  and  were  of  those  who  are  afar!  Blessed 
is  whosoever  abandoned  them  and  approached  the 
Aim  of  all  that  is  in  the  heavens  and  earth.  They 
read  the  Gospel  and  confess  not  in  the  Glorious 
Lord,  after  coming  in  His  Holy,  IMighty  and 
Beautiful  Kingdom. 

"Say:  Verily,  We  have  come  unto  you  and  have 
endured  the  abominations  of  the  world  because  of 
your  salvation.  Do  ye  flee  from  Him  who  hath  re- 
deemed His  Soul  for  your  lives?    .    .    . 

"Verily,  He  hath  come  from  Heaven  as  He  came 
from  it  the  first  time ;  beware  lest  ye  contradict  that 


THE  BAHAI  MESSAGE  TO  CHRISTIANITY     79 

which  He  saith,  as  the  nations  before  you  contra- 
dicted that  which  He  said.  Thus  do  I  make  known 
to  you  the  Truth,  if  you  are  of  those  who  know.  .  .  . 
Surely,  the  Father  hath  come  and  hath  fulfilled  that 
whereunto  you  were  promised  in  the  Kingdom  of 
God.  This  is  the  Word  the  Son  veiled  w^hen  He 
said  to  those  around  Him  that  at  that  time  they 
could  not  bear  it;  but  when  the  stated  time  was 
ended  and  the  hour  arrived,  the  Word  shone  forth 
from  the  Horizon  of  the  Will.  .  .  .  Verily,  the 
Spirit  of  Truth  hath  come  to  guide  you  into  all 
Truth.    .    .    . 

**Blessed  is  he  who  cut  himself  from  all  other 
than  Me,  soared  in  the  ether  of  My  Love,  entered 
My  Kingdom,  perceived  the  Dominions  of  My 
Might,  drank  the  Kawther  of  My  Favor  and  the 
Salsabil  of  My  Grace,  and  was  informed  of  My 
Command  and  of  whatsoever  w^as  hidden  in  the 
Treasuries  of  IMy  Words,  and  shone  forth  from  the 
Horizon  of  Inner  Significances  in  My  Commemora- 
tion and  My  Praise!  Verily,  he  is  of  INIine.  May 
]My  Mercy,  Grace,  Favor  and  Glory  be  unto 
Him!" 

The  following  letter,  written  to  Bahais  in  Amer- 
ica w^ho  were  Christians  by  birth,  and  composed  by 
a  Persian  Bahai  who  was  born  a  IMohammedan,  not 
only  most  clearly  and  exquisitely  presents  what  may 
be  called  the  Bahai  "message"  to  Christianity  — 
it  is  also  a  document  impressively  revealing  the  new 
spirit  of  international,  interracial  and  interreligious 


80  BAHAI 

fellowship  made  possible  by  what  has  already  been 
termed  the  spirit  of  the  age. 

The  letter  is  dated  Isfahan,  Persia,  April  25th, 
1902. 

"Praise  and  glory,  homage  and  thanksgiving 
unto  the  Creator  of  the  world,  unto  the  Lord  of 
nations.  Whose  Bounty  forever  descended  and  flows 
unceasingly  down  upon  His  faithful  ones! 

"His  Perfect  Power,  His  Blessing  and  Grace 
has  He  manifested  in  the  human  temple.  In  every 
age  has  He  made  Himself  loiown  by  a  definite 
Name  and  distinct  Attribute. 

"In  every  cycle,  He,  wath  loving  mercy,  has  re- 
moved from  before  His  Glorious  Face  some  portion 
of  the  veil  of  concealment,  such  portion  as  the 
capacity  of  the  people  and  their  station  of  under- 
standing and  development  could  bear ;  until,  in  this 
sacred  century,  the  Greatest  Day  of  God,  He  has 
revealed  Himself  in  the  Name  of  the  Heavenly 
Father  and  with  the  Father's  Glorious  Kingdom, 
even  as  referred  to  by  the  prophet  Isaiah  and  by  St. 
John  in  the  Revelation. 

"Many  are  the  passages  in  the  Scriptures  refer- 
ring to  the  fact  that  God  is  to  manifest  Himself 
in  the  Name  of  the  Father. 

Isaiah  9:6  —  For  unto  us  a  child  is  born,  unto  us  a 
son  is  given;  and  the  government  shall  be  upon  his 
shoulder;  and  his  name  shall  be  called  Wonderful, 
Counsellor,  The  Mighty  God,  The  Everlasting  Father, 
The  Prince  of  Peace. 


THE  BAHAI  MESSAGE  TO  CHRISTIANITY     81 

Revelation  19:16  —  And  he  hath  on  his  vesture  and 
on  his  thigh  a  name  written,  KING  OF  KINGS  AND 
LORD  OF  LORDS. 

"He  raised  on  high  the  Heaven  of  His  Mighty- 
Cause;  He  tilled  the  ground  of  the  minds  of  His 
chosen  ones;  He  adorned  the  garden  of  the  hearts 
of  His  elect  with  roses  of  knowledge  and  hyacinths 
of  wisdom.  Peter,  the  Apostle,  refers  to  this  in  his 
second  Epistle,  and  also  St.  John  in  the  Revelation. 

2  Peter,  3:13  —  Nevertheless,  we,  according  to  his 
promise,  look  for  new  heavens  and  a  new  earth,  wherein 
dwelleth  righteousness. 

Revelation  21:1 — And  I  saw  a  new  heaven  and  a 
new  earth;  for  the  first  heaven  (Divine  Revelation)  and 
the  first  earth  (state  of  consciousness)  were  passed  away; 
and  there  was  no  more  sea  (separation  between  the  world's 
great  religions). 

"He  re-established  and  enlightened  the  true 
Jerusalem  and  Zion;  fulfilled  the  prophecies  and 
promises  of  the  Holy  Scriptures;  deposed  the  ty- 
rants and  oppressors  by  the  weapon  of  the  Words 
(Cosmic  Truth)  which  proceedeth  from  His  Holy 
Mouth, 

Revelation  21 :23  —  And  the  city  had  no  need  of  the 
sun,  neither  of  the  moon  to  shine  in  it  (had  no  need  of 
the  imperfect  enlightenment  of  laws  based  on  human 
politics  and  economics)  :  for  the  Glory  of  God  did  lighten 
it  (Baha'o'llah's  manifestation  of  Cosmic  Knowledge), 
and  the  Lamb  is  the  light  thereof  (man's  capacity  to 
receive  Cosmic  Knowledge,  established  by  the  manifesta- 
tion of  Abdul  Baha  in  the  station  of  Servitude). 

Daniel  8:14«  —  And  he  said  unto  me,  Unto  two  thou- 
sand and  three  hundred  days;  then  shall  the  sanctuary 
be  cleansed. 


82  BAHAI 

Isaiah  35:1-2  —  The  wilderness  and  the  solitary  place 
shall  be  glad  for  them;  and  the  desert  shall  rejoice  and 
blossom  as  the  rose  .  .  .  They  shall  see  the  Glory 
of  the  Lord  (shall  become  aware  of  Cosmic  Reality), 
and  the  excellency  of  our  God. 

Isaiah  11:4  —  But  with  righteousness  shall  he  judge 
the  poor,  and  reprove  with  equity  for  the  meek  of  the 
earth  (co-operation  has  displaced  exploitation  as  the 
industrial  motive). 

*'And  by  the  Spirit  of  His  Utterances  which  de- 
scended from  His  Holy  Lips ;  revived  His  beloved 
and  chosen  ones  by  the  eternal  Spirit  of  agreement, 
union  and  the  true  civilization  of  the  human  race; 
gathered  together  people  differing  in  opinions  — 
drinkers  from  diverse  springs  of  theory  —  united 
them  in  the  pavilion  of  love  and  bound  their  hearts 
with  the  bonds  of  Love  of  the  Father,  which  affec- 
tion shall  endure  through  the  eternity  of  eternities. 

Romans  6:22  —  But  now  being  made  free  from  sin 
(ignorance  of  Cosmic  Reality),  and  become  servants  to 
God  (become  able  to  function  in  the  light  of  that  Reality), 
ye  have  your  fruit  unto  holiness,  and  the  end  everlasting 
life. 

Daniel  12:2  —  And  many  of  them  that  sleep  in  the 
dust  of  the  earth  (live  entirely  in  physical  personality) 
shall  awake,  some  to  everlasting  life,  and  some  to  shame 
and  contempt  (some  will  find  themselves  prepared  to 
function  Cosmic  Reality,  some  will  be  closed  to  it). 

"Boundless  gratitude  be  unto  Him  who  elevated 
His  servants  from  the  state  of  ignorance,  old  habits 
and  harmful  ways  which  caused  degradation  and 
prevented  development,  and  made  them  to  arrive 
at  that  station  wherein  they  become  imbued  with 
lofty  attributes. 


THE  BAHAI  MESSAGE  TO  CHRISTIANITY     83 

"He  tore  asunder  the  veils  of  superstition  and 
imagination  and  taught  them  the  realities  and  inner 
significances  of  the  true  life,  and  through  His  Dear- 
est Son,  His  ]Most  Sincere  Servant,  the  Priceless 
Pearl  of  the  Sea  of  His  Oneness,  Abdul  Baha,  the 
Greatest  Branch  (may  our  lives  be  sacrificed  for 
him!),  perfected  His  bounty  and  fulfilled  the  glad- 
tidings  declared  in  the  ancient  Books,  as  by  Isaiali 
and  Zechariah. 

Isaiah  11:1 — And  there  shall  come  forth  a  rod  out 
the  stem  of  Jesse,  and  a  Branch  shall  grow  out  of  his 
roots. 

Isaiah  4 :2  —  In  that  day  shall  the  branch  of  the  Lord 
be  beautiful  and  glorious,  and  the  fruit  of  the  earth 
(the  awakened  cosmic  consciousness  of  a  man  is  liken 
to  a  fruit  ripened  on  the  Branch  —  that  is,  cosmic  con- 
sciousness is  dependent  on  entrance  into  the  influence  of 
the  spiritual  Abdul  Baha)  shall  be  excellent  and  comely 
for  them  that  are  escaped  of  Israel  (escaped  from  the 
limitations  of  legalistic  morality). 

"In  Zechariah  3:7  —  it  was  promised  that  the 
Branch  will  be  extended  from  the  Tree  of  Life, 
and  will  sit  on  the  Throne  of  Servitude. 

Zechariah  3:7  —  Thus  said  the  Lord  of  Hosts:  If 
thou  wilt  walk  in  My  ways,  and  if  thou  wilt  keep  My 
charge,  then  thou  shalt  also  judge  My  house,  and  shalt 
also  keep  My  courts,  and  I  will  give  thee  places  to  walk 
among  those  that  stand  by  (the  cosmic  or  spiritual  man 
is  now  to  rule  the  earth  —  and  becoming  cosmic  he  arises 
to  the  station  of  the  angels,  or  cosmic  men  who  never 
descended  into  physical  personality.'*  .  .  .  For,  behold, 
I  will  bring  forth  My  servant,  the  Branch. 

"After  offering  my  greetings  and  servitude  to 
His  Holy  Threshold,  this  servant,  Abdul  Hussein 
Isfahani  (author  of  the  letter),  writes  this  letter 


84  BAHAI 

on  his  own  behalf  and  that  of  the  Bahais  of  Isfahan 
(upon  them  be  Baha'o'llah!)  to  the  friends  of  God, 
the  beloved  of  EL-ABHA,  the  firm  ones  in  the 
Covenant,  sincere  in  His  Cause  and  attracted  unto 
His  Beauty,  our  dearly  beloved  American  brothers, 
(may  the  blessings  of  God  abide  with  them!). 

"I  herein  acknowledge  the  receipt  of  the  beautiful 
photograph  wherein  we  met  the  brilliant  faces  of 
our  fellow-believers,  whose  hearts  are  kindled  with 
the  fire  of  His  Love,  and  who  are  gathering  blos- 
soms in  the  Garden  of  His  Knowledge. 

"All  the  eyes  were  brightened,  the  hearts  glad- 
dened, and  our  yearnings  to  visit  you  were  in- 
creased. Then  all  the  believers  (in  Isfahan)  glori- 
fied God,  saying:  Blessed  be  God,  the  Most  Excel- 
lent Creator,  Who  caused  the  far  distant  ones  to  be 
united  with  these,  blessed  them  with  new  birth, 
gave  them  to  drink  of  the  Wine  of  His  Eternal 
Love,  and  caused  them  to  manifest  faces  brilliant 
from  the  trial  as  purified  gold,  and  to  advance  unto 
His  Holy  Abode. 

EzEKiAL  36:26  —  A  new  heart  also  will  I  give  you, 
and  a  new  spirit  will  I  put  within  you:  and  I  will  take 
away  the  stony  heart  out  of  your  flesh,  and  I  will  give 
you  an  heart  of  flesh. 

Zechariah  13:8-9  —  And  it  shall  come  to  pass,  that  in 
all  the  land,  saith  the  Lord,  two  parts  therein  shall  be 
cut  off  and  die ;  but  the  third  shall  be  left  therein.  And 
I  will  bring  the  third  part  through  the  fire  (Cosmic 
Reality  will  not  be  established  until  the  race  has  passed 
through  a  period  of  intense  suffering  and  confusion  which 
shall  compel  every  man  and  woman  to  make  a  definite 
decision  for  or  against  Cosmic  Reality),  and  will  refine 


THE  BAHAI  MESSAGE  TO  CHRISTIANITY     85 

them  as  silver  is  refined,  and  will  try  them  as  gold  is  tried ; 
they  shall  call  on  My  name,  and  I  will  hear  them  (they 
will  create  in  themselves  the  capacity  to  receive  Cosmic 
Reality) :  I  will  say,  It  is  My  people:  and  they  shall  say. 
The  Lord  is  my  God. 

"We  have  thought  of  you  and  remembered  you 
in  our  spiritual  gatherings,  and  will  continue  to  do 
so.  We  hope  to  hear  often  from  you  regarding  the 
progress  of  the  Cause  and  the  spreading  of  the 
Fragrances  of  God.  Upon  ye  be  El-Baha  and 
greetings." 

Of  the  unity  of  religions,  Abdul  Baha  has  said: 

*'His  Highness  the  Merciful  One  hath  caused  the 
appearance  of  the  splendors  of  love  and  affinity  in 
the  world  of  humanity,  so  that  the  individuals  of 
mankind  might  be  perfectly  united  and  the  rays  of 
unity  be  revealed  amongst  the  children  of  men. 
Hence  He  sent  forth  the  holy  Manifestations,  in- 
spired their  hearts  with  the  contexts  of  the  heavenly 
books  and  instituted  divine  religions,  in  order  that 
these  sanctified  personages,  these  revealed  books, 
these  religions  of  God  might  become  the  means  of 
unity  and  accord,  love  and  good  fellowship  in  the 
human  world. 

"Should  we  study  the  divine  religions  with  the 
perception  of  truth,  we  would  then  conclude  that 
their  underlying  principle  is  the  One  Reality.  All 
the  religions  of  God  are  the  reality.  Reality  does 
not  admit  multiplicity  and  division.  But  alas !  that 
the  fundamental  reality  is  laid  aside  and  forgotten, 
and  a  catalogue  of  creeds,  dogmas  and  rites  have 


86  BAHAI 

taken  its  place  which  are  the  basis  of  difference,  the 
cause  of  hatred  and  prejudice,  and  the  establishment 
of  the  religion  of  God  is  totally  forgotten  and 
neglected. 

"When  this  impenetrable  gloom  —  that  is,  the 
gloom  of  the  traditions  of  ancestors  —  surrounded 
the  world,  and  the  pristine,  primal  light  of  the 
divine  religions  w^as  changed  into  the  darlaiess  of 
the  ideas  of  men,  then  the  true  morn  dawned  and 
the  Sun  of  Reality  (Baha'o'llah)  arose  from  the 
horizon  of  Persia,  reflecting  in  the  mirror  of  the 
world  of  humanity  the  effulgence  of  the  heavenly 
unity.  Thus  he  destroyed  the  foundations  of  the 
structure  of  blind  dogmas  and  man-made  creeds  and 
rituals  which  are  the  result  of  ignorant  prejudices. 
It  is  owing  to  this  fact  that  this  light  is  spreading 
with  the  greatest  rapidity  in  all  the  countries  of  the 
world.  The  influence  of  these  divine  teachings  in 
the  heart  of  the  world  is  like  the  influence  of  the 
spirit  over  the  bodies. 

"Consequently,  through  the  breaths  of  this  divine 
spirit,  the  followers  of  the  different  religions  in 
Persia  have  rent  asunder  the  veil  of  superstitions, 
are  freed  from  the  effect  of  unenlightened  doctrines, 
and  have  attained  to  the  Beloved  of  Reality.  These 
antagonistic  faiths  are  united  with  the  bond  of  per- 
fect love  and  amity.  For  this  reason  great  meetings 
are  organized,  in  which  are  represented  JNl'oham- 
medans,  Christians,  Jews,  Zoroastrians,  Turks, 
Arabs,  Parsees,  Persians,  Kurds,  English,  French 


THE  BAHAI  MESSAGE  TO  CHRISTIANITY     87 

and  Americans,  who  associate  and  mingle  with  each 
other  as  brothers.  Like  the  sheep  of  God  they  are 
grazing  in  the  pastures  of  truth  under  the  protect- 
ing staff  of  the  heavenly  Shepherd. 

"Should  you  reflect  with  the  insight  of  reality, 
you  will  observe  that  these  antiquated  and  super- 
annuated dogmas  have  ever  been  the  cause  of  mas- 
sacre and  carnage  among  the  nations  and  peoples. 

"As  this  is  the  cycle  of  sciences,  there  must  needs 
be  new  teachings,  a  new  revelation  is  required  and 
a  new  life  wanted.  The  minds  and  hearts  refute  the 
veracity  of  ancient  opinions.  New  ideas  are  called 
for  and  new  principles  are  urgently  demanded 
which  may  fill  the  requirements  of  this  age,  be  as 
the  spirit  of  this  century  and  as  the  life  of  this 
period. 

"Search,  labor,  investigate,  work  and  show  extra- 
ordinary effort,  so  that  the  center  of  the  light  of 
Reality,  like  unto  the  witness  of  love,  may  become 
revealed  in  the  assemblages  of  mankind. 

"There  is  a  power  in  this  Cause,  a  mysterious 
power,  far,  far,  far  away  from  the  ken  of  men  and 
angels.  That  invisible  power  is  the  source  of  all 
these  outward  activities.  It  moves  the  hearts.  It 
rends  the  mountains.  It  administers  the  compli- 
cated affairs  of  the  Cause.  It  inspires  the  friends. 
It  dashes  into  a  thousand  pieces  all  the  forces  of 
opposition.  It  creates  new  spiritual  worlds.  This 
is  a  mystery  of  the  Kingdom  of  Abha." 


THE  BAHAI  MESSAGE  TO  JUDAISM 

The  foregoing  words  apply  to  the  Jews  quite  as 
much  as  to  the  Christians.  That  is  the  great  proof 
that  they  really  apply  to  either. 

Men  and  women  of  the  Jewish  race  are  cordially 
urged  to  investigate  the  writings  and  lives  of 
Baha'o'llah  and  Abdul  Baha,  interpreting  their 
significance  in  terms  of  the  great  Hebrew  tradition 
and  also  in  the  light  of  events  now  taking  place 
among  the  Jews  throughout  the  world. 

The  following  is  a  Tablet  uttered  by  Baha'o'llah 
to  Oriental  Jews.  Its  date  is  not  knoA\Ti  to  the 
author  of  this  book,  but  lies  necessarily  between 
1863  and  1892. 

"In  the  Name  of  the  Wise,  the  Mighty! 

*'This  is  the  day  in  which  the  Throne  is  amongst 
the  tribes  (of  Israel),  is  calling  for  the  inliabitants 
of  the  earth  and  is  summoning  to  the  glorification 
and  the  sanctification  of  the  Almighty. 

"This  is  the  day  in  which  the  angels  of  heaven 
are  continually  descending  prefers  to  men  of  Cosmic 
Intelligence)  with  the  Cups  of  Explanation  and 
Goblets  of  Knowledge,  and  after  they  have  been 
perfumed  with  the  Holy  and  Sweet  Fragrances, 
they  ascend. 


88 


THE  BAHAI  MESSAGE  TO  JUDAISM  89 

"Proclaim:  The  Promised  Lord  saith:  O  ye 
concourse  of  the  Jews!  You  have  belonged  to  Me, 
from  Me  have  you  appeared  and  to  ]\Ie  shall  you 
return!  What  has  happened  to  you  that  now  you 
recognize  not  Me,  that  you  are  enemies  instead  of 
friends,  having  abandoned  the  real  Friend. 

*'This  is  the  day  in  which  the  New  Heaven  hath 
appeared  and  the  old  earth  is  renewed.  Should 
you  look  with  sanctified  vision,  you  shall  behold  the 
New  Jerusalem!  Should  you  listen  with  attentive 
ears,  you  shall  hear  the  voice  of  God! 

*'This  is  the  day  in  which  all  things  call  unto  you 
and  invite  you  to  advance  toward  the  Promised 
Land!  But  alas,  you  are  so  intoxicated  with  the 
wine  of  haughtiness  that  not  for  one  moment  do 
you  become  aware!  The  ear  is  for  the  sake  of 
hearing  ]\Iy  Voice,  and  the  eye  is  for  the  sake  of 
beholding  My  Beauty!  Hearken  unto  Me  and 
sever  yourselves  from  aught  else  save  Me.  The 
Tabernacle  of  the  Lord  is  lifted  up  by  the  hand 
of  Divine  Providence,  and  the  Cause  of  God  hath 
bcome  manifest.  The  time  of  the  old  things  is  rolled 
by  and  the  cycle  of  regeneration  hath  begun.  The 
Lord  hath  willed  that  everything  shall  be  renewed. 
But  only  the  new  vision  is  enabled  to  behold  this 
transformation,  and  only  the  new  intelligence  is  in- 
formed of  this  event. 

*'The  Origin  and  the  End  were  couched  in  one 
blessed  Word,  and  that  blessed  Word  hath  appeared 
and  entered  the  arena  of  Existence.     It  is  the 


90  BAHAI 

Spirit  of  the  Divine  Books  and  Scriptures.  It  hath 
been  from  the  beginning  before  which  there  was  no 
beginning,  and  it  shall  continue  unto  the  end  after 
w^hich  there  is  no  end.  It  is  the  Key  to  the  Most 
Great  Treasury  of  the  Lord  and  the  Concealed 
Mystery  of  God  which  hath  been  hidden  from 
eternity  behind  the  Canopies  of  Divine  Infallibility. 
It  is  the  Alpha  and  Omega  prophesied  by  John. 
It  is  the  First  and  the  Last,  the  Manifest  and  the 
Hidden. 

"Declare:  To-day  the  City  of  God  hath  ap- 
peared and  become  manifest,  in  the  utmost  adorn- 
ment. Ponder  ye  over  the  words  of  John,  w^ho 
hath  prophesied  concerning  the  coming  of  the  holy 
and  glorious  City  of  God,  saying:  For  the  Lord 
God  Almighty  and  the  Lamb  are  the  temple 
thereof.  And  the  City  hath  no  need  of  the  sun, 
neither  of  the  moon  to  shine  in  it,  for  Baha'o'llah 
(The  Glory  of  God)  doth  lighten  it. 

"In  the  name  of  the  True  One,  hold  in  thy  hand 
the  rod  of  Trust,  and  with  complete  severance  guide 
the  erring  souls  to  the  Great  City  of  God  ( Cosmic 
Reality)  ;  perchance  the  lost  ones  may  return  to 
their  real  (spiritual)  home  and  ideal  country,  and 
the  blind  ones  receive  new  and  penetrating  sight. 
Verily,  He  is  powerful  to  do  whatsoever  He  willeth, 
and  in  His  Mighty  Grasp  (universal  law)  every- 
thing is  captive,  and  He  is  the  Omnipotent  and  the 
Omniscient !" 


THE  BAHAI  MESSAGE  TO  JUDAISM  91 

Address    by    Abdul    Baha    to    the    Jews,    Congregation 
Emmanu-el,   San    Francisco,    California, 
October  12,  1912. 

(From  stenographic  notes,  which  the  author  has  not  taJcen 
the  liberty  of  correcting,  even  for  the  sake  of  grammatical 
usage.) 

The  first  bestowal  of  God  in  the  world  of  human- 
ity is  religion,  because  religion  consists  in  Divine 
teachings  to  men,  and  most  assuredly  Divine  teach- 
ings are  preferable  to  all  other  sources  of  instruct 
tion. 

Religion  confers  upon  man  the  life  everlasting. 
Religion  is  a  service  to  the  world  of  morality.  Re- 
ligion guides  humanity  to  the  Eternal  happiness. 
Religion  is  the  cause  of  the  everlasting  honor  in 
the  world  of  man. 

Religion  has  ever  helped  humanity  towards  prog- 
ress. As  a  proof  thereof,  let  us  first  investigate  re- 
ligion from  an  unbiased  standpoint,  and  let  us  find 
out  whether  religion  is  the  cause  of  progress  and 
development,  or  whether  it  is  not;  whether  or  not 
religion  is,  after  all,  the  cause  of  illumination; 
whether  or  not  religion  is  the  impetus  which  allows 
man  to  advance  extraordinarily. 

Let  us  investigate  independently,  not  that  we 
should  be  bound  by  blind  limitations  or  dogmas,  for 
were  we  to  be  bound  bv  blind  limitations,  then  some 
will  believe  that  religion  is  a  cause  of  happiness,  and 
others  will  disagree,  saying  that  religion  has  been 
a  cause  of  degradation.    Hence,  we  must  first  in- 


92  BAHAI 

vestigate  as  to  this:  whether  or  not  religion  is  the 
cause  of  human  advancement,  and  let  us  give  it  im- 
partial and  thorough  research,  so  that  no  doubt  shall 
linger  in  our  minds. 

How  can  we  find  this  out?  That  is,  how  can  we 
discover  whether  or  not  religion  has  been  the  cause 
of  human  progress  or  retrogression? 

We  will  first  investigate  the  founders  of  religions 
—  the  prophets.  We  will  review  the  episodes  of 
their  lives,  the  events  prior  to  their  rise,  and  those 
subsequent  thereto.  But  we  will  not  present  to  you 
certain  traditions  which  are  subject  to  both  credence 
and  refutation.  Nay,  rather  we  will  cite  certain 
historical  facts  provable  to  all,  certain  facts  and 
evidences  well  known  throughout  the  world,  and 
which  are  irrefutable.    They  are  these: 

Amongst  the  great  prophets  was  His  Holiness 
Abraham,  who,  being  an  iconoclast,  and  a  herald  of 
the  oneness  of  God,  was  banished  by  the  people  from 
his  nativity. 

Let  us  observe  right  here  how  religion  is  an  im- 
petus towards  progress. 

His  Holiness  Abraham  founded  a  family,  and 
this  family  God  did  bless,  and  it  was  through  the 
religious  basis  that  the  Abrahamic  house  progressed 
and  advanced.  Through  the  Divine  benediction, 
noteworthy  and  famous  prophets  have  issued  from 
the  Abrahamic  lineage.  There  appeared  an  Ish- 
mael.  There  appeared  an  Isaac.  There  appeared  a 
Jacob.    There  appeared  a  Joseph.    There  appeared 


THE  BAHAI  MESSAGE  TO  JUDAISM  93 

a  Moses.  There  appeared  an  Aaron.  David  issued 
therefrom.  There  appeared  Solomon.  The  Holy 
Land  was  conquered  by  them  and  was  theirs  by 
right,  and  the  great  Solomonic  wisdom  was  estab- 
lished, and  this  was  due  to  the  RELIGION  which 
they  founded. 

Hence,  we  learn  that  religion  is  the  cause  of 
honor,  is  the  cause  of  advancement,  is  the  cause  of 
civilization,  is  the  cause  of  the  happiness  of  man- 
kind, even  as  the  Abrahamic  episode  well  illustrates 
this  fact,  and  even  as  his  family  clearly  points 
thereto.  Even  unto  the  present  time  his  household 
throughout  the  world  is  visible  and  manifest. 

Let  us  discover,  or  consider,  the  greater  phase 
of  it. 

The  children  of  Israel  were  in  bondage  and  cap- 
tivity in  the  land  of  Egypt.  They  were  subjected 
to  the  tyranny  and  oppression  of  the  Copts  (the 
Egyptians).  They  were  in  the  utmost  state  of 
degradation.  One  Copt  conquered  or  subdued,  one 
hundred  Septs  (Israelites).  They  could  make  use 
of  them  as  working  men  or  laborers. 

The  children  of  Israel  were  then  in  abject  pov- 
erty, in  the  lowest  abasement,  in  the  lowest  degree 
of  ignorance,  in  the  lowest  degree  of  barbarism, 
when,  suddenly.  His  Holiness  Moses  appeared 
amongst  them. 

When  His  Holiness  Moses  appeared  amongst 
them,  outwardly  he  was  no  other  than  a  shepherd, 
but  through  the  power  of  religion  he  exhibited  such 


94  BAHAI 

majesty  and  grandeur  and  efficacy  they  continue  to 
be  seen.  His  prophethood  was  well  spread  through- 
out the  land.  His  law  was  the  foundation  of  the 
law. 

His  Holiness  Moses  was  single  and  alone,  and 
this  single,  unique  personage,  through  the  power  of 
RELIGION,  rescued  all  the  children  of  Israel 
from  bondage.  He  conducted  them  to  the  Holy 
Land,  and  there  he  founded  the  great  civilization 
which  has  become  permanent,  a  civilization  and  an 
education  which  are  most  noteworthy.  Thereby 
they  attained  to  the  highest  pitch  of  honor  and 
glory.  He  saved  them  from  their  bondage  and 
captivity.  He  imbued  them  with  qualities  which 
caused  them  to  be  progressive. 

They  proved  to  be  a  civilizing  people,  an  edu- 
cated and  a  scholarly  people.  Their  philosophy  be- 
came noteworthy.  Their  industries  were  well 
known.  In  one  word,  along  all  the  lines  of  ad- 
vancement which  characterize  a  progressive  people 
they  did  achieve  progress.  They  reached  such  a 
pitch  that  at  last  they  were  the  ones  who  established 
this  Solomonic  sovereignty,  and  their  sciences  and 
arts  reached  such  an  extensive  state  that  even  the 
Greek  philosophers  used  to  take  journeys  to  Jeru- 
salem, in  order  to  study  with  the  Jews  philosophy 
and  the  basis  of  law.  According  to  Eastern  history, 
this  is  an  established  fact. 

Even  Socrates,  the  Greek  philosopher,  came  to 
the  Holy  Land  and  consorted  with  the  Jewish  doc- 


THE  BAHAI  MESSAGE  TO  JUDAISM  96 

tors,  studying  with  them  wisdom  or  philosophy.  He 
studied  with  them  the  basis  of  their  belief,  and  when 
he  returned  to  Greece  there  he  formulated  his  basis 
for  Divine  unity,  and  there  he  advanced  his  belief 
regarding  the  immortality  of  the  spirit  after  the 
dissolution  of  the  body.  These  verities  Socrates 
learned,  no  doubt,  from  the  Jewish  doctors  with 
whom  he  came  in  contact. 

Likewise  Hippocrates  and  many  other  philoso- 
phers used  to  go  to  the  Holy  Land,  to  Palestine, 
and  there  they  acquired  lessons  from  the  Jewish 
prophets,  studying  with  them  the  basis  of  ethics  and 
morality,  returning  to  their  countries  with  contribu- 
tions which  have  made  Greece  famous. 

A  cause,  or  a  movement,  which  renders  a  weak 
nation,  such  as  the  Jews  were  before,  strong,  and 
changes  them  into  a  mighty  and  powerful  nation, 
which  rescues  them  from  captivity  and  causes  them 
to  reach  sovereignty,  which  transforms  their  ignor- 
ance into  knowledge  and  science,  and  which  endows 
them  with  an  impetus  to  advance  along  all  degrees 
of  attainments —  (this  is  not  merely  a  theory  or  a 
story  which  I  am  telling;  it  is  an  historical  fact 
which  is  provable;  it  is  history  well  established  in 
the  world)  — makes  it  evident  that  religion  is  the 
cause  of  honor  to  man,  that  religion  is  the  cause 
of  the  sublimity  of  man. 

When  we  speak  of  religion  we  mean  the  Founda- 
tion of  religion,  not  the  blind  imitations,  or  dogmas, 
which  have  crept  in  afterwards,  and  which  are  ever 


96  BAHAI 

destructive,  which  are  ever  the  cause  of  the  efface- 
ment  of  a  nation,  which  are  ever  the  cause  of  the 
hindrance  to  progress  of  nations.  Even  as  it  is 
recorded  in  the  Torah,  and  confirmed  in  all  histories, 
when  the  Jews  were  fettered  with  imitations,  then 
the  wrath  of  God  became  manifest. 

When  they  had  let  go  of  the  foundations  of  the 
law  of  God,  then  God  sent  Nebuchadnezzar,  who 
came  and  conquered  the  Holy  Land.  He  killed  all 
the  men;  he  took  in  captivity  the  children  and 
w^omen ;  he  made  waste  the  countries  and  the  popu- 
lous centers ;  he  set  afire  all  the  hamlets  and  all  the 
villages.  Seventy  thousand  Jews  did  Nebuchad- 
nezzar captivate,  and  he  took  them  with  him  to 
Iraki  A  jam  (Persia).  He  destroyed  the  Holy  of 
Holies,  the  great  temple  there.  He  burned,  in 
short,  the  Torah.  The  Holy  Bible  —  was  he  the 
cause  of  its  burning. 

Thus  we  learn  that  the  Foundation  of  the  Divine 
religions  is  ever  the  cause  of  progress,  and  thus  the 
holy  foundation  becomes,  as  it  were,  destroyed  and 
beclouded,  or  surrounded  by  certain  blind  imita- 
tions, when  it  leaves  the  central  axis.  Then  the 
reverse  takes  place;  it  is  a  cause  of  debasement, 
the  cause  of  degradation. 

Even  so  was  the  case  with  the  Greek  nation  when 
they  were  the  conquerors,  and  then  the  Jews  became 
captives  in  their  turn,  and  they  were  followed  by 
the  Romans.  They  proved  to  be  the  conquering 
nation,  and  they  almost  did  away  with  the  Israelites. 


THE  BAHAI  MESSAGE  TO  JUDAISM  97 

Under  Titus,  the  Roman  emperor,  when  he  was  a 
general  of  the  Roman  army,  the  Holy  Land  was 
laid  waste  and  made  a  wilderness  and  the  Israelites 
were  scattered  broadcast  in  the  w^orld,  because  he 
also  killed  their  noteworthy  men,  their  possessions 
M^ere  pillaged,  and  Jerusalem  was  made  a  heap  of 
dust.  And  that  was  the  scattering  and  dispersion 
of  the  Jew^s,  which  has  continued  ever  since. 

Hence,  we  learn  that  the  foundation  of  the  re- 
ligion of  God,  w^hich  was  laid  by  His  Holiness 
IMoses,  was  the  cause  of  eternal  honor,  was  the  cause 
of  the  advancement  of  the  nation,  was  the  cause  of 
the  life  of  the  Hebrew  people,  was  the  cause  of  hom- 
age to  be  paid  forever  to  this  noteworthy  people. 
The  dogmas,  or  blind  imitations,  which  later  crept 
in,  proved  to  be  the  destructive  causes  of  the  Israel- 
ites. They  caused  the  Israelites  to  be  scattered 
throughout  the  earth,  and  to  be  expelled  from  their 
land  by  right  —  the  Holy  Land. 

In  short,  what  is  the  Mission  of  prophets? 

The  mission  of  the  prophets  is  no  other  than  the 
advancement  or  the  education  of  the  world  of 
humanity.  The  prophets  are  the  genuine  teachers 
or  educators.  The  prophets  are  the  universal  in- 
structors. 

Should  w^e  desire  to  find  out  whether  or  not  any 
of  these  great  souls  or  prophets  has  been  a  prophet, 
we  will  investigate  the  facts  of  the  case,  and  the 
line  of  our  investigation  w^ill  be  one  of  education. 
If  he  has  been  an  educator,  if  he  has  really  educated 


98  BAHAI 

a  people,  if  he  has  trained  a  nation,  causing  it  to 
attain  to  the  highest  point  of  knowledge  after  it 
had  been  in  the  lowest  abyss  of  ignorance,  then  we 
are  sure  that  he  is  a  prophet,  and  this  is  a  plain 
and  clear  mode  of  procedure  and  irrefutable. 

We  do  not  have  to  go  to  other  proofs.  We  do 
not  have  to  cite  miracles,  saying  that  out  of  rock 
water  gushed  forth,  because  such  a  miracle  may  be 
denied  by  others  —  they  may  refute  it.  We  do  not 
need  such  miracles. 

The  very  deeds  of  Moses  are  proofs  conclusive 
concerning  his  prophethood.  We  are  in  need  of  no 
further  evidences  —  evidences  which  are  usually 
refutable. 

If  a  man  be  unbiased,  be  fair,  and  investigate 
reality,  he  will,  wdthout  doubt,  bear  testimony  to  the 
fact  that  the  personage  of  IMoses  was  verily  the  man 
of  God,  was  a  great  personage. 

Let  us  not  digress.  Let  us  go  to  the  subject. 
But  here  I  w  ish  to  ask  you  to  be  very  fair  in  your 
judgment,  setting  aside,  for  the  moment,  all  re- 
ligious prejudice. 

All  of  us  should  thoroughly  investigate  or  search 
for  verities,  because  the  purpose  of  the  religions 
of  God  has  been  proved  to  be  no  other  than  the 
education  of  humanity  and  the  cause  of  amity  and 
fellowship  among  men.  Therefore  I  wish  to  cite 
this  episode,  and  it  is  this :  that  the  Foundations  of 
the  religions  of  God  I  declare  are  one.  They  are 
not  multiple,  for  they  are  realities. 


THE  BAHAI  MESSAGE  TO  JUDAISM  99 

Reality  does  not  accept  multiplicity,  because 
every  one  of  the  Divine  religions  is  divisible  into  two 
departments.  One  is  concerned  with  the  w^orld  of 
morality,  and  that  is  essential.  It  is  concerned  wdth 
the  ethical  sublimity  of  the  human  nature.  It  is 
concerned  wdth  the  advancement  of  the  world  of 
humanity  in  general.  It  has  to  do  with  the  knowl- 
edge of  God.  It  has  to  do  wdth  the  discovery  of 
the  verities  of  life.  This  is  idealism;  this  is  an 
essential  division.  This  division  is  not  subject  to 
change  or  transformation  at  all.  This  is  one ;  it  is 
the  foundation  of  all  the  religions  of  God.  As 
regards  that,  all  the  religions  are  one  and  the  same. 

The  second  department,  or  division,  has  to  do 
with  the  transactions  amongst  society,  or  certain 
conducts  of  men,  w^hich  is  NOT  essential.  That  is 
subject  to  change  and  transformation  according  to 
the  exigencies  or  the  requirements  of  time  and  place. 

To- wit:  in  the  time  of  Noah,  certain  requirements 
demanded  that  all  the  sea-foods  be  allowable,  or 
lawful.  During  the  period  of  Abrahamic  prophet- 
hood  it  was  considered  allowable,  because  of  a  certain 
expedient,  that  man  should  marry  his  aunt,  even 
Sarah  was  the  sister  of  Abraham's  mother.  During 
the  time  of  Adam  it  was  on  vogue,  or  current,  that 
man  should  marry  his  ovm.  sister,  even  as  the  child- 
ren of  Adam  —  Abel,  Cain  and  Seth  —  married 
their  own  sisters,  because  so  they  thought,  it  was 
the  expedient  of  the  time,  but  in  the  law  of  the 
Torah  that  became  abrogated  —  that  was  forbidden. 


100  BAHAI 

There  were  certain  laws,  that  were  lawful  formerly, 
which,  during  the  time  of  Moses,  were  forbidden. 
For  example,  camel's  flesh,  during  the  time  of 
Abraham,  was  a  food  for  man,  but  during  the  time 
of  Jacob,  it  was  made  unlawful. 

Such  changes  and  transformations  in  religious 
teachings  have  to  do  with  the  trifling  things  of  life. 
They  are  not  important. 

His  Holiness  Moses  lived  in  the  wilderness  of 
Terah,  where  retribution  had  to  be  done  in  direct 
action.  There  were  no  penitentiaries.  There  were 
no  forms  of  punishment.  Hence,  according  to  the 
exigency  of  the  time  and  place,  it  was  a  law  of  God 
that  an  eye  was  to  be  for  an  eye,  and  a  tooth  for  a 
tooth.  If  a  man's  tooth  were  broken  by  another, 
his  tooth  would  be  broken.  If  a  man,  for  instance, 
caused  the  deafness  of  another  person,  the  other 
person  would  make  him  deaf.  But  you  cannot  do 
that  now.  You  would  not  blind  a  man  because  he 
accidentally  blinded  you.  Is  it  possible  to  carry 
such  things  out? 

In  the  Torah  there  are  ten  commandments  con- 
cerning the  murderer.  Is  it  possible  to  carry  these 
out?  Can  these  ten  ordinances,  concerning  the 
treatment  of  murderers,  be  carried  out? 

Modern  times  are  such  that  even  the  question 
of  capital  punishment  —  the  one  form  which  some 
nations  have  decided  to  carry  out  in  relation  to  a 
murderer  —  is  a  mooted  question.  Wise  men  are 
discoursing  as  to  its  feasibility  or  otherwise. 


THE  BAHAI  MESSAGE  TO  JUDAISM         lOl 

So,  everything  that  is  valid  is  only  valid  for  the 
present.  The  exigency  of  that  time  demanded  that 
if  a  man  committed  theft  to  the  extent  of  a  dollar 
they  would  chop  off  his  hand,  but  now  you  cannot 
cut  off  a  man's  hand  for  a  thousand  dollars.  You 
cannot  do  it;  it  is  impossible.  This  is  true,  for  it 
was  useful  for  that  time,  but  things  are  useful  in 
accordance  with  the  exigencies  of  the  time.  Time 
changes,  and  when  time  changes  the  laws  have  to 
change.  But  remember,  these  are  not  of  im- 
portance ;  they  are  the  accidentals  of  religion.  The 
essentials,  which  are  spiritual  in  character,  which 
have  to  do  with  morality,  w^hich  have  to  do  with  the 
ethical  development  of  man,  which  have  to  do  with 
the  faith  of  man, —  they  are  ideal ;  they  are  neces- 
sary and  permanent;  they  are  one  foundation,  and 
they  are  not  subject  to  change  or  transformation. 

Hence,  for  the  fundamental  basis  of  the  religion 
of  God  there  is  no  change  or  transformation.  That 
is  the  basis,  the  fundamental  foundation  of  religion. 
That  never,  never  changes. 

The  basis  of  the  law  of  Moses  His  Holiness 
Christ  promulgated.  That  selfsame  formation  of 
religion  was  promulgated  by  IMohammed.  All  the 
great  prophets  have  served  that  foundation.  They 
have  served  this  reality.  Hence,  the  purposes  and 
the  purports  of  all  the  prophets  have  been  one  and 
the  same.  They  were  the  advancement  of  the  body- 
politic.  They  were  the  cause  of  the  honor  of  man- 
kind.   They  were  the  Divine  civilizations  of  man, 


102  BAHAI 

the  foundations  whereof  are  one,  and,  as  we  declared 
before,  the  proofs  concerning  the  validity  of  a  per- 
sonage, the  proofs  of  inspiration,  are,  after  all,  the 
very  deeds  of  valor  and  greatness  emanating  from 
that  prophet.  If  that  prophet  has  proved  to  be  in- 
strumental in  the  elevation  of  mankind,  undoubt- 
edly he  has  been  a  valid  prophet. 

Again,  I  wish  you  to  be  very  fair  in  the  judgment 
of  these  following  remarks. 

At  a  time  when  the  Israelites  had  again  been  put 
in  captivity,  at  a  period  when  the  Roman  Empire 
had  dispersed  and  effaced  the  Hebrew  nation,  be- 
cause the  law  of  God  had,  as  it  were,  passed  from 
amongst  them,  and  the  foundations  of  the  religion 
of  God  had  been  destroyed  —  at  such  a  time  as  this 
Jesus  Christ  appeared  among  them. 

When  His  Holiness  Christ  appeared  from  the 
Jews,  the  first  thing  he  did  was  to  proclaim  the 
validity  of  the  Mosaic  mission.  He  declared  that 
the  Torah,  the  Old  Testament,  was  the  Book  of 
God.  He  declared  that  all  the  prophets  of  Israel 
were  valid  and  true.  He  eulogized  Moses,  and 
through  his  recommendations  Moses'  name  was 
spread  throughout  the  world.  The  fame  of  Moses, 
throughout  the  Christian  movement,  was  circulated 
broadcast. 

Before  the  rise  of  Christ  it  is  a  fact  that  in  Persia 
the  name  of  Moses  had  not  been  heardc  Through- 
out India  they  had  no  knowledge  of  Judaism,  and 
were  it  not  for  the  Christianizing  of  Europe  it 


THE  BAHAI  MESSAGE  TO  JUDAISM         103 

would  not  have  had  this  knowledge  of  the  Old 
Testament  which  it  has.  Throughout  Europe 
there  was  not  a  copy  of  the  Old  Testament.  But 
listen  to  this  and  judge  it  aright:  It  was  through 
the  instrumentality  of  Christ,  it  was  through  the 
translation  of  the  New  Testament  —  the  httle 
volume  of  the  Gospel  —  that  the  Old  Testament, 
the  Torah,  was  translated  into  six  hundred  lan- 
guages and  spread  throughout  the  world  at  large. 

The  names  of  the  Israelitish  prophets  became 
household  names  every^^^here.  All  the  nations  of 
the  world  believed  on  this,  that  the  children  of 
Israel  were  verily  the  chosen  people  of  God,  and 
that  that  nation  was  a  holy  nation,  that  the  blessings 
of  God  attended  that  nation,  and  that  all  the 
prophets  of  God  which  had  issued  therefrom  were 
the  dawning  points  of  Divine  inspiration,  were  the 
daysprings  of  revelation,  and  each  one  of  them 
glistened  like  a  star. 

Hence,  His  Holiness  Christ  really  promulgated 
Judaism,  for  He  was  a  Jew,  and  He  was  not  against 
Jews.  He  did  not  deny  the  prophetic  validity  of 
Moses.  Nay,  He  rather  promoted  it.  He  did  not 
efface  the  Torah.  Nay,  rather  He  promulgated  it. 
At  most  it  comes  to  this:  that  the  portion  of  that 
dispensation  which  had  to  do  with  transactions, 
that  underwent  change,  and  that  is  not  important, 
but  the  essential  teachings  of  Moses  —  that  He 
did  promulgate  virtually.  He  did  not  leave  any- 
thing undone. 


104  BAHAI 

Likewise,  with  the  superlative  power  and  the 
efficacious  Word  of  God,  He  gathered  together 
most  of  the  nations  of  the  East  and  West.  This 
was  achieved  at  a  time  when  these  nations  were  in 
the  utmost  of  contention  and  strife.  He  ushered 
all  of  them  beneath  the  overshadowing  tent  of  the 
oneness  of  humanity.  He  educated  them  in  such- 
wise  as  to  be  united  and  agreed,  even  as  the  Roman, 
the  Greek,  the  Chaldean,  the  Assyrian  and  the 
Egyptian  nations  were  perfectly  blended  together, 
and  the  heavenly  civilization  was  the  result.  Now, 
this  efficacy  of  the  Word,  and  heavenly  power, 
which  are  extraordinary,  undoubtedly  prove  con- 
clusively the  validity  of  His  Holiness  Christ.  Con- 
sider how  His  heavenly  sovereignty  is  yet  perma- 
nent and  lasting.  Verily,  this  is  conclusive  proof 
and  manifest  evidence. 

Then  we  see,  appearing  from  another  horizon  the 
prophet  of  Arabia  —  Mohammed. 

Perchance  you  do  not  know  that  the  first  address 
of  Mohammed  to  his  tribe  was  this  statement: 
"Moses,  verily,  was  a  prophet  of  God,  and  the 
Torah  is  a  book  of  God.  Verily,  O  ye  people,  ye 
must  believe  in  the  Torah  and  in  Moses  and  the 
prophets.  Ye  must  accept  all  the  Israelitish  proph- 
ets as  valid." 

In  the  Koran,  the  Mohammedan  Bible,  there  are 
seven  statements  —  in  fact,  seven  repetitions  —  of 
the  Mosaic  episode,  and  in  all  his  historic  sketches 
he  praises  Moses. 


THE  BAHAI  MESSAGE  TO  JUDAISM         105 

He  states  that  His  Holiness  Moses  was  the 
greatest  prophet  of  God;  that  God  guided  him  in 
the  Sahara,  or  the  wilderness,  of  Terah;  that 
through  the  light  of  guidance  JMoses  harkened  to 
the  summons  of  God;  that  he  proved  to  be  the 
interlocutor  of  God;  that  he  was  the  bearer  of  the 
tablet  of  the  ten  commandments;  that  all  the  con- 
temporaneous nations  of  the  world  arose  against 
him;  that  eventually  IMoses  conquered  all  of  them, 
because  falsehood  is  ever  defeated  by  veracity. 

There  are  many  instances  of  this  kind  by  Mo- 
hammed.   I  am  citing  just  a  few. 

Consider  that  His  Holiness  Mohammed  was 
born  among  the  savage  and  barbarian  nations  of 
Arabia,  lived  amongst  them,  and,  outwardly,  was 
illiterate  and  uninformed  of  the  holy  books  of 
God. 

The  Arabian  nations  were  in  the  utmost  state  of 
ignorance  and  barbarism,  to  the  extent  that  they 
buried  their  daughters  alive.  They  considered  this 
to  be  the  utmost  valor  and  sublimity  of  nature. 
They  lived  under  the  Persian  and  Roman  govern- 
ments in  the  utmost  captivity  and  bondage.  They 
were  scattered  throughout  the  Arabian  desert,  sub- 
ject to  continuous  strife  and  bloodshed. 

When  the  light  of  Mohammed  dawned,  the 
darkness  of  ignorance  was  dispelled  from  the 
Arabian  desert  Those  barbarous  nations,  in  a 
short  space  of  time,  reached  a  superlative  degree  of 
civilization,  even  as  their  civilization  extended  to 


106  BAHAI 

Spain,  and  was  established  in  Bagdad,  whence  it 
was  translated  to  Europe. 

What  proof  is  there,  concerning  his  prophethood, 
greater  than  this,  unless  a  man  should  close  his  eyes 
to  justice  and  appear  obstinately  unfair? 

And  now  the  Christians  are  believers  in  JNIoses. 
They  believe  that  he  was  a  prophet  of  God,  and 
they  commend  him  most  highly.  The  Mohammed- 
ans are  believers  of  Moses,  praising  him  most 
highly,  proving  the  validity  of  INIoses,  and  likewise 
they  believe  in  His  Holiness  Christ  and  praise 
Him  highly. 

Is  it  harm  which  has  come  to  these  nations, 
namely  Christians  and  Mohammedans,  because  they 
have  admitted  the  validity  of  Moses  and  have  ac- 
cepted him?  No,  on  the  contrary,  it  proves  that 
they  have  been  fair-minded  to  that  extent. 

Then  what  harm  is  there  that  the  Jewish  nation 
should,  in  turn,  now  also  praise  His  Holiness 
Christ,  also  praise  His  Holiness  Mohammed,  and 
by  this  humanitarian  acceptance  and  praiseworthy 
view  of  the  subject  do  away  forever  with  this 
enmity  and  hatred  which  have  faced  mankind  so 
many  centuries,  so  that  bloodshed  shall  cease,  that 
this  fanaticism  shall  pass  away  forever,  so  that 
all  mankind  shall  be  unified,  and  then  this  cor- 
ruption shall  cease  as  soon  as  this  acceptance  is  estab- 
lished. 

They  admit  that  Moses  was  the  Interlocutor  of 
God.     Why  do  you  not  say  that  Christ  was  the 


THE  BAHAI  MESSAGE  TO  JUDAISM         107 

Word  of  God?  Wliy  do  you  not  say  just  the  few 
words  that  will  do  away  with  all  this  sort  of  thing, 
and  there  will  be  no  hatred  left,  no  fanaticism  left, 
no  warfare  in  the  Land  of  Promise,  no  bloodshed 
whatever.    Then  there  will  be  peace  forever. 

Verily,  I  declare  now  to  you  that  Moses  was  no 
other  than  that  interlocutor  of  God ;  that  Moses  was 
the  most  noteworthy  prophet  of  God;  that  Moses 
brought  the  fundamental  law  of  God;  that  Moses 
was  the  founder  of  the  ethical  basis  which  has  proved 
happiness  to  humanity. 

What  harm  is  there  in  this?  Do  I  lose  by  saying 
this  to  you?  And  believing  it  as  a  Bahai?  Not 
at  all.  On  the  contrary,  as  a  Bahai,  it  benefits, 
and  the  founder  of  the  Bahai  movement,  Baha'o'llah, 
is  well  pleased  with  me,  confirms  me  therein.  He 
says:  "Well  done;  you  have  been  fair  in  your  judg- 
ment; you  have  impartially  investigated  the  truth; 
you  have  arrived  at  the  conclusion  full  well;  you 
have  believed  in  a  prophet  of  God,  in  Moses;  you 
have  accepted  the  Book  of  God,  the  Torah." 

Now,  inasmuch  as  it  is  possible  to  do  away  with 
this  prejudice,  with  such  a  bit  of  liberalism  in  the 
world,  why  not  do  it? 

Why  not  do  away  with  this  continuous  strife? 
Why  not  establish  a  bond  which  can  easily  connect 
the  hearts  of  men?  What  harm  is  there  in  this  re- 
ligion that  everyone  should  praise  the  teacher  or 
the  founder  of  another?  Even  as  the  other  nations 
praise  His  Holiness  Moses,  and  admit  that  Moses 


108  BAHAI 

was  the  founder  of  Judaism,  why  not  have  the 
Hebrews  also  praise  the  other  great  men? 

What  harm  comes  from  it?  None  at  all.  It  is 
no  loss  to  you  at  all.  Nay,  rather,  you  are  con- 
tributing to  the  welfare  of  mankind.  Nay,  rather 
you  would  be  instrumental  in  establishing  happi- 
ness of  the  world  of  humanity.  Nay,  rather  the 
eternal  honor  of  man  depends  upon  this  m^odern 
liberalism. 

Inasmuch  as  our  God  is  one,  and  He  has  created 
all  of  us  —  He  provides  for  all  of  us.  He  protects 
all  of  us  —  and  we  acknowledge  such  a  kind  and 
clement  Lord,  why  should  we  —  His  children.  His 
followers,  fight  each  other?  Why  should  we  so 
easily  break  the  hearts  of  one  another? 

God  is  so  merciful  and  kind,  and  His  aim  in 
religion  has  ever  been  the  bond  of  unity  and 
affinity. 

Praise  be  to  God,  the  mediaeval  ages  of  darkness 
have  passed  away,  and  this  century  of  radiance  has 
da^vned  —  this  century  wherein  the  reality  of  things 
is  becoming  evident,  this  century  wherein  science 
has  discovered  the  very  mysteries  of  nature,  this 
century  which  is  in  toto  a  service  to  the  world  of 
humanity,  this  century  wherein  we  have  established 
the  foundation  of  the  world  of  humanity.  Is  it 
behooving  that  we  should  still  linger  in  our  fanatic- 
ism and  tarry  in  our  prejudice?  Is  it  behooving 
that  we  should  still  be  bound  with  the  old  fables 
and  superstitions,   and  be  handicapped  with   the 


THE  BAHAI  MESSAGE  TO  JUDAISM         109 

superannuated  beliefs  of  past  and  dark  ages,  again 
waging  wars  religious,  again  fighting  one  another, 
still  shedding  the  blood  of  each  other,  shunning  one 
another,  anathematizing  one  other?    Is  it  becoming? 

Is  it  not  better  for  us  to  be  most  loving  to  one 
another?  Is  it  not  preferable  for  us  to  enjoy  fellow- 
ship together,  and  unite  and  sing  athems  of  unity 
towards  God,  and  praise  all  the  prophets  in  a  good 
and  praiseworthy  spirit? 

Then  you  will  observe  how  the  world  will  prove 
to  be  a  paradise  and  the  promised  day  shall  come. 
That  will  be  the  day  when  the  wolves  and  the  sheep 
will  quaff  from  the  same  stream,  when,  according 
to  the  prophecy  of  Isaiah,  the  quail  and  the  eagle 
will  enjoy  the  same  nest  together,  and  the  gazelle, 
or  the  deer,  will  with  the  lion  enjoy  the  same 
pasture. 

What  does  this  mean? 

It  means  that  contending  nations  are  symbolic 
of  this  fact,  that  religions,  which  have  been  formerly 
as  wolves  and  sheep,  divergent  creeds,  will  associate 
with  each  other.  Notwithstanding  their  former 
status  they  will  then,  through  this  liberalism,  asso- 
ciate with  each  other  in  perfect  fellowship,  in  the 
utmost  love. 

This  is  the  meanuig  of  the  statement  of  His 
Holiness  Isaiah.  Otherwise,  you  will  never  come 
to  see  a  day  when  this  prophecy  will  come  to  pass 
literally,  for  the  wolf  will  never  enjoy  the  com- 
panionship of  the  sheep,  and  the  lion  and  the  deer 


no  BAHAI 

will  never  be  seen  together,  because  the  lion  and 
the  deer  will  see  each  other,  but  the  deer  will  be 
within  the  lion,  and  the  sheep  will  ever  be  the  prey 
of  the  wolf.  As  you  know,  the  teeth  of  the  lion  are 
carnivorous.  It  has  no  molars  to  enjoy  grass. 
Hence,  it  must  eat  flesh. 

Therefore,  this  prophecy  is  symbolic  of  this  state 
of  affairs :  When  certain  nations  and  races,  symbol- 
ized or  typified  by  lions  and  wolves  and  sheep, 
amongst  whom  there  is  no  bond  of  fellowship  or 
association,  in  that  day  of  promise  will  be  unified, 
and  they  will  treat  each  other  most  kindly  and 
liberally. 

In  a  word,  the  age  is  ours  when  fellowship  is  to 

be  established. 

The  century  has  come  when  all  the  religions  are 
to  be  unified. 

The  century  has  come  when  all  the  nations  shall 
enjoy  international  peace. 

The  century  has  come  when  all  the  races  and 
the  tribes  of  the  world  will  do  away  with  racial 
prejudice  and  associate  perfectly. 

The  century  has  arrived  when  all  the  nativities 
of  the  world  will  prove  to  be  one  home  of  the 
human  family. 

Thus  may  human  kind,  in  its  entirety,  rest  com- 
fortably and  in  peace  under  the  great  and  broad 
tabernacle  of  the  one  Lord. 


THE  BAHAI  MESSAGE  TO  SCIENCE 

To  behold  all  things  of  the  universe  as  animate 
with  a  divine  animation,  so  that  a  single  atom  be- 
comes as  wondrous  as  a  sun ;  to  feel  in  all  things  the 
essence  of  a  consciousness,  so  that  not  even  a  stone 
remains  insignificant;  above  all,  to  realize  by  what 
eternities  of  evolution  matter  has  been  trained  in 
order  to  serve  as  the  temple  of  man  —  whereby 
man  becomes  the  perfect  microcosm  within  the  per- 
fect macrocosm  —  this  glory  that  was  the  crown  of 
ancient  seers,  returns  now  universally  to  become  the 
education  of  all. 

Year  by  year,  since  Baha'o'llah  flooded  the  minds 
of  men  with  light,  the  past  has  begun  to  yield  its 
secrets,  and  the  *'book  of  nature"  to  imfold  its 
hidden  mysteries. 

In  the  measure  that  the  world  gives  up  its  phys- 
ical limitations  of  hate,  of  prejudice  and  of  fear  — 
in  that  measure,  according  to  the  cosmic  law,  shall 
nature's  finer  forces  become  manifest.  In  the 
measure  that  the  soul  desires  Reality  rather  than 
authority  and  power  —  in  that  same  measure  shall 
the  veils  of  self-realization  be  raised. 

As  Abdul  Baha  has  said:    "This  mineral  and 

these  trees  have  no  knowledge  of  the  animal  and 

111 


112  BAHAI 

human  worlds:  they  cannot  imagine  them,  they 
deny  their  very  existence.  While  the  human  world 
is  helping  the  animal  and  developing  the  vegetable 
kingdoms,  those  kingdoms  are  unconscious  of  it. 
Similarly  the  human  world  cannot  comprehend  the 
world  of  the  Kingdom;  it  is  absolutely  ignorant 
of  the  Kingdom  while  the  heavenly  spirits  have 
influence  in  the  human  world. 

*' Observe  how  clear  this  point  is,  yet  the  pro- 
fessors and  philosophers  ignore  this  reality!  The 
psychic  mediums,  however,  are  speaking  of  the 
world  of  thought  and  not  of  the  world  of  reality. 
But  a  heavenly  soul  who  is  conscious  of  the  Divine 
World,  whose  eye  of  discernment  is  open,  who  is 
detached  from  the  world  of  nature,  and  has  attained 
to  spiritual  power  —  this  soul  is  cognizant  of  the 
world  of  spirits.  Reality  is  pure  spirit,  it  is  not 
physical.    That  is,  it  occupies  no  space." 

One  of  the  great  utterances  of  Baha'o'llah 
hitherto  unpublished,  and  significant  from  its  refer- 
ence to  cosmogony,  the  corner  stone  of  all  scientific 
truth,  is  knoA\Ti  as  *'Tablet  to  the  Zoroastrians." 
This  tablet  follows: 

In  the  Name  of  God^  the  Peerless 

Glory  befits  that  Discerner  who,  through  one 
shower  of  the  ocean  of  His  Generosity,  expanded 
the  firmament  of  existence,  begemmed  it  with  the 
stars  of  knowledge  and  summoned  the  people  to 


THE  BAHAI  MESSAGE  TO  SCIENCE  113 

the  most  high  court  of  perception  and  under- 
standing. 

This  shower,  which  is  the  first  Word  of  the  Al- 
mighty, is  sometimes  called  the  water  of  life,  for 
it  quickens  the  dead  souls  in  the  desert  of  ignorance 
with  the  spring  of  intelligence.  Sometimes  it  is 
called  the  first  emanation  which  appears  from  the 
Sun  of  Wisdom;  and  when  it  began  to  shine  the 
first  movement  became  manifest  and  known,  and 
then  phenomena  stepjDcd  into  the  arena  of  exist- 
ence, and  these  appearances  were  through  the 
generosity  of  the  Incomparable,  the  Wise  One. 
He  is  the  Knower,  the  Giver !  He  is  sanctified  and 
holy  above  every  statement  and  attribute.  The 
seen  and  the  unseen  fail  to  attain  the  measure  of 
His  understanding.  The  world  of  being  and  what- 
ever has  issued  from  it  bears  witness  to  this 
utterance. 

Therefore  it  has  become  known  that  the  first 
bestowal  of  the  Almighty  is  the  Word.  The  re- 
ceiver and  acceptor  of  it  is  the  understanding.  It 
is  the  first  instructor  in  the  university  of  existence 
and  is  the  primal  emanation  of  God.  Whatever  is 
manifested  is  the  appearance  of  Its  wisdom.  All 
the  names  originate  in  His  Name  and  the  begin- 
nings and  endings  of  all  affairs  are  in  His  hand. 

Your  letter  came  to  this  Captive  of  the  world  in 
this  prison.  It  brought  happiness  and  increased 
friendship ;  it  renewed  the  remembrance  of  the  for- 
mer times.    Thanks  belong  to  the  Possessor  of  the 


114  BAHAI 

universe  who  permitted  us  to  meet  in  the  land  of 
Persia.  We  met,  we  conversed  and  we  listened. 
It  is  hoped  that  no  forgetfulness  shall  follow  that 
meeting,  that  the  revolving  of  the  wheel  of  time 
shall  not  take  away  the  remembrance  from  the  heart 
and  that  the  plants  of  love  shall  grow  out  of  that 
w^hich  is  sown  and  become  green,  verdant  and 
imperishable. 

You  have  asked  regarding  the  heavenly  books. 
The  pulse  of  the  world  is  in  the  hand  of  the  skillful 
physician.  He  diagnoses  the  illness  and  wisely 
prescribes  the  remedy.  Every  day  has  its  o^\^l 
secret  and  every  tongue  a  melody.  The  illness  of 
to-day  has  one  cure  and  that  of  to-morrow  another. 
Look  ye  upon  this  day  and  consider  and  discuss  its 
needs.  One  sees  that  existence  is  afflicted  with  in- 
numerable ailments  compelling  it  to  lie  upon  the 
bed  of  suffering.  Men  who  are  intoxicated  with 
the  wine  of  self-contemplation  prevent  the  Wise 
Physician  from  reaching  the  patient.  Thus  they 
have  caused  themselves  and  the  world  to  suffer. 
They  know  not  the  ailment,  nor  recognize  the 
remedy.  They  take  the  wrong  for  the  right, 
the  crooked  for  the  straight,  the  enemy  for  the 
friend. 

Hearken  ye  to  the  melody  of  this  Prisoner! 
Stand  up  and  proclaim;  perchance  those  who  are 
asleep  may  weaken.  Say:  O  ye  dead  ones,  the  gener- 
ous hand  of  the  Almighty  is  passing  around  the 
water  of  eternal  life.    Hasten  ye  and  drink.    What- 


THE  BAHAI  MESSAGE  TO  SCIENCE  115 

soever  becomes  alive  in  this  Day  shall  never  die. 
Whatsoever  dies  in  this  Day  can  never  find  life. 

O  friend!  When  the  Primal  Word  appeared  in 
these  latter  days,  a  number  of  the  heavenly  souls 
heard  the  melody  of  the  Beloved  and  hastened 
toward  it;  while  others,  finding  that  the  deeds  of 
some  did  not  correspond  with  their  words,  were 
prevented  from  the  splendors  of  the  Sun  of 
Knowledge. 

Say:  O  ye  sons  of  earth!  The  pure  God  pro- 
claims that  which  in  this  Glorious  Day  shall  purify 
you  from  the  stains  of  desire  and  enable  you  to 
attain  to  tranquility  in  My  Straight  Path  and  My 
Manifest  Road.  To  be  severed  from  attachment 
means  to  be  separated  from  those  things  which 
occasion  loss  and  lessen  the  grandeur  of  man.  If 
the  people  of  the  world  should  attain  to  the 
Heavenly  Utterances,  they  would  never  be  pre- 
vented from  the  ocean  of  divine  generosity.  The 
heaven  of  righteousness  has  no  star  and  shall  never 
have  one  brighter  than  this.  The  first  utterance  of 
the  Wise  One  is:  *'0  ye  sons  of  earth!  Turn  from 
the  darkness  of  foreignness  to  the  shining  of  the 
Sun  of  Unity.  This  is  that  which  shall  benefit  the 
people  of  the  world  more  than  aught  else."  O 
friend!  The  Tree  of  the  Word  has  no  better  blos- 
som and  the  Ocean  of  Wisdom  never  shall  have  a 
brighter  pearl  than  this. 

O  ye  sons  of  intelligence!  The  thin  eyelid  pre- 
vents the  eye  from  seeing  the  world  and  what  is 


116  BAHAI 

contained  therein.  Then  think  of  the  result  when 
the  curtain  of  greed  covers  the  sight  of  the  heart. 
Say:  O  people,  the  darkness  of  greed  and  envy 
obscures  the  light  of  the  soul,  as  the  cloud  prevents 
the  penetration  of  the  Sun's  rays.  Should  one 
listen  with  the  ear  of  intelligence  to  this  Utterance, 
he  shall  spread  the  wings  of  freedom  and  soar  with 
great  joy  toward  the  heaven  of  understanding. 

When  the  world  was  environed  with  darkness, 
the  Sea  of  Generosity  was  set  in  motion  and  divine 
illumination  appeared  so  that  the  deeds  were  dis- 
closed. This  is  the  same  illumination  which  is 
promised  in  the  Heavenly  Books.  Should  the 
Almighty  desire  the  hearts  of  the  people  of  the 
world,  He  will  purify  and  sanctify  them  through 
the  power  of  the  Word  and  will  pour  forth  the  light 
of  the  Sun  of  Unity  upon  the  souls  to  regenerate 
the  world. 

O  people!  The  word  must  be  demonstrated  by 
the  deed,  for  the  righteous  witness  of  the  word  is 
action.  The  former  without  the  latter  shall  not 
allay  the  thirst  of  the  needy  nor  open  the  doors 
of  sight  to  the  blind. 

The  Heavenly  Wise  One  proclaimeth:  A  harsh 
word  is  like  unto  a  sword,  but  gentle  speech  is  like 
unto  milk.  The  children  of  the  world  attain  knowl- 
edge and  better  themselves  through  this. 

The  Tongue  of  Wisdom  says:  Wliosoever  pos- 
sesses me  not  hath  nothing.  Pass  by  w^hatever 
exists  in  this  world,  and  find  me.    I  am  the  Sun  of 


THE  BAHAI  MESSAGE  TO  SCIENCE  117 

Perception  and  the  Ocean  of  Science.  I  revive  the 
withered  ones  and  quicken  the  dead.  I  am  that 
light  which  illumines  the  path  of  insight.  I  am  the 
Falcon  of  the  Hand  of  the  Almighty.  I  bear  heal- 
ing in  my  wrings  and  teach  the  knowledge  of  soar- 
ing to  the  Heaven  of  Truth. 

The  Peerless  Beloved  says:  The  Way  of  Free- 
dom is  opened;  hasten  thereto.  The  Fountain  of 
Knowledge  is  gushing;  drink  ye.  Say:  O  friend, 
the  Tabernacle  of  Oneness  is  raised ;  look  not  upon 
each  other  with  the  eye  of  strangeness.  Ye  are  all 
the  fruits  of  One  Tree  and  the  leaves  of  one  Branch. 
Truly,  I  say,  whatever  lessens  ignorance  and  in- 
creases knowledge,  that  has  been,  is  and  shall  be 
accepted  by  the  Creator. 

Say:  O  people,  walk  ye  under  the  shade  of  the 
Tree  of  Righteousness.  Enter  ye  under  the  pro- 
tection of  the  Tent  of  Unity. 

Say:  O  thou  possessor  of  sight,  the  past  is  the 
mirror  of  the  future;  look  and  perceive.  Per- 
chance, after  the  acquirement  of  Imowledge,  ye 
may  know  the  Friend  and  attain  to  His  good  pleas- 
ure. To-day  the  best  fruit  of  the  Tree  of  Science 
and  Knowledge  is  that  which  benefits  mankind  and 
improves  his  condition. 

Say:  The  tongue  is  the  witness  of  My  Truth;  do 
not  pollute  it  with  untruthfulness.  The  spirit  is 
the  treasury  of  My  mystery;  do  not  deliver  it  into 
the  hand  of  greed.  It  is  hoped  that  in  this  Dawn 
the  world  shall  become  illumined  with  the  rays  of 


118  BAHAI 

the  Sun  of  understanding  and  knowledge,  so  that 
we  may  attain  to  the  good-pleasure  of  the  Beloved 
and  drink  from  the  ocean  of  divine  recognition. 

O  friend!  As  there  were  few  ears  to  hear,  for 
some  time  the  Pen  has  been  silent  in  Its  own  cham- 
ber, and  to  such  a  degree  that  silence  has  had 
precedence  over  utterance.  Say:  O  people,  words 
are  revealed  according  to  the  capacity  of  the  people, 
so  that  the  beginners  may  make  progress.  The 
milk  must  be  given  according  to  a  measure,  in  order 
that  the  babe  of  the  world  may  enter  into  the  realm 
of  grandeur  and  be  established  in  the  court  of  unity. 

O  friend!  We  have  seen  the  pure  ground  and 
cast  the  seed  of  knowledge.  Now  it  depends  upon 
the  rays  of  the  sun  whether  it  burns  up  or  is  caused 
to  grow.  Say:  To-day,  through  the  greatness  of 
the  Peerless  Wise  One,  the  Sun  of  Knowledge  has 
appeared  from  behind  the  covering  of  the  spirit 
and  all  the  birds  of  the  meadow  of  oneness  are  in- 
toxicated with  the  wine  of  understanding  and  are 
commemorating  the  Name  of  the  Beloved.  Happy 
is  the  one  who  finds  this  and  becomes  immortal. 


The  following  remarks  were  made  by  Abdul 
Baha  to  a  group  of  scientific  students. 

*'When  we  ponder  over  the  reality  of  the  micro- 
cosm, we  discover  that  in  the  microcosm  there  are 
deposited  three  realities.    Man  is  endowed  with  an 


THE  BAHAI  MESSAGE  TO  SCIENCE  119 

outer  or  physical  reality.  It  belongs  to  the  material 
realm,  the  animal  kingdom,  because  it  has  sprung 
from  the  material  world.  This  animalistic  reality 
of  man  he  shares  in  common  with  the  animals. 

"The  human  body  is  like  animals  subject  to 
nature's  laws.  But  man  is  endowed  with  a  second 
reality,  the  rational  or  intellectual  reality ;  and  the 
intellectual  reality  of  man  predominates  over 
nature. 

"All  these  sciences  which  we  enjoy  were  hidden 
and  recondite  secrets  of  nature,  unknowable  to 
nature,  but  man  was  enabled  to  discover  these  mys- 
teries, and  out  of  the  plane  of  the  unseen  he  brought 
them  into  the  plane  of  the  seen.  Thus  while  man's 
physical  reality  is  captive  to  nature,  man  is  the 
governor  of  nature  through  this  intellectual  power. 

"Yet  there  is  a  third  reality  in  man,  the  spiritual 
reality.  Through  its  medium  one  discovers  spiritual 
revelations,  a  celestial  faculty  which  is  infinite  as 
regards  the  intellectual  as  well  as  physical  realms. 
That  power  is  conferred  upon  man  through  the 
breath  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  It  is  an  eternal  reality, 
an  indestructible  reality,  a  reality  belonging  to 
the  divine,  supernatural  kingdom ;  a  reality  whereby 
the  world  is  illumined,  a  reality  which  grants  unto 
man  eternal  life.  This  third,  spiritual  reality  it  is 
which  discovers  past  events  and  looks  along  the 
vistas  of  the  future.  It  is  the  ray  of  the  Sun  of 
Reality.  The  spiritual  world  is  enlightened  through 
it,  the  whole  of  the  Kingdom  is  being  illumined  by 


120  BAHAI 

it.  It  enjoys  the  world  of  beatitude,  a  world  which 
had  no  beginning  and  which  shall  have  no  end. 

*'That  celestial  reality,  the  third  reality  of  the 
microcosm,  delivers  man  from  the  material  world. 
Its  power  causes  man  to  escape  from  nature's  v/orld. 
Escaping,  he  will  find  an  illuminating  reality, 
transcending  the  limited  reality  of  man  and  caus- 
ing him  to  attain  to  the  infinitude  of  God,  abstract- 
ing him  from  the  world  of  superstitions  and 
imaginations,  and  submerging  him  in  the  sea  of  the 
rays  of  the  Sun  of  Reality. 

"This  fact  is  proved  from  scientific  as  well  as 
spiritual  evidence. 

"When  we  ponder  over  the  conditions  of  phe- 
nomena, we  observe  that  all  phenomena  are  com- 
posed of  single  elements.  This  singular  cell-ele- 
ment travels  and  has  its  coursings  through  all  the 
grades  of  existence.  I  wish  you  to  ponder  carefully 
over  this.  This  cellular  element  has  at  some  time 
been  in  the  mineral  kingdom.  While  staying  in  the 
mineral  kingdom  it  has  had  its  coursings  and  trans- 
formations through  myriads  of  images  and  forms. 
Having  perfected  its  journey  in  the  mineral  king- 
dom, it  has  ascended  to  the  vegetable  kingdom; 
and  in  the  vegetable  kingdom  it  has  again  had  its 
journeys  and  transformations  through  myriads  of 
conditions.  Having  accomplished  its  functions  in 
the  vegetable  kingdom,  the  cellular  element  ascends 
to  the  animal  kingdom. 

"In  the  animal  kingdom  again  it  goes  through 


THE  BAHAI  MESSAGE  TO  SCIENCE  121 

the  composition  of  myriads  of  images,  and  then 
we  have  it  in  the  human  kingdom.  In  the  human 
kingdom  likewise  it  has  its  transferences  and  cours- 
ings  through  multitudes  of  forms.  In  short,  this 
single  primordial  atom  has  had  its  great  journeys 
through  every  stage  of  life,  and  in  every  stage  it 
was  endowed  with  a  special  and  particular  virtue 
or  characteristic. 

"Consequently,  the  great  divine  philosophers 
have  had  the  following  epigram:  All  things  are 
involved  in  all  things.  For  every  single  phenome- 
non has  enjoyed  the  postulates  of  God,  and  in  every 
form  of  these  infinite  electrons  it  has  had  its  char- 
acteristics of  perfection. 

"Thus  this  flower  once  upon  a  time  was  of  the 
soil.  The  animal  eats  the  flower  or  its  fruit,  and  it 
thereby  ascends  to  the  animal  kingdom.  Man  eats 
the  meat  of  the  animal,  and  there  you  have  its 
ascent  into  the  human  kingdom,  because  all  phe- 
nomena are  divided  into  that  which  eats  and  that 
which  is  eaten.  Therefore,  every  primordial  atom 
of  these  atoms,  singly  and  indivisibly,  has  had  its 
coursings  throughout  all  the  sentinent  creation, 
going  constantly  into  the  aggregation  of  the  various 
elements.  Hence  do  you  have  the  conservation  of 
energy  and  the  infinity  of  phenomena,  the  inde- 
structibility of  phenomena,  changeless  and  im- 
mutable, because  life  cannot  suffer  annihilation  but 
only  change. 

"The  apparent  annihilation  is  this:  that  the  form. 


122  BAHAI 

the  outward  image,  goes  through  all  these  changes 
and  transformations.  Let  us  again  take  the  ex- 
ample of  this  flower.  The  flower  is  indestructible. 
The  only  thing  that  we  can  see,  this  outer  form,  is 
indeed  destroyed,  but  the  elements,  the  indivisible 
elements  which  have  gone  into  the  composition  of 
this  flower  are  eternal  and  changeless.  Therefore 
the  realities  of  all  phenomena  are  immutable.  Ex- 
tinction or  mortality  is  nothing  but  the  transforma- 
tion of  pictures  and  images,  so  to  speak  —  the  real- 
ity back  of  these  images  is  eternal.  And  every 
reality  of  the  realities  is  one  of  the  bounties  of 
God. 

*'Some  people  believe  that  the  divinity  of  God 
had  a  beginning.  They  say  that  before  this  par- 
ticular beginning,  man  had  not  knowledge  of  the 
divinity  of  God.  With  this  principle  they  have 
limited  the  operations  of  the  influences  of  God. 

"For  example,  they  think  there  was  a  time  when 
man  did  not  exist,  and  that  there  will  be  a  time  in 
the  future  when  man  will  not  exist.  Such  a  theory 
circumscribes  the  power  of  God,  because  how  can 
we  understand  the  divinity  of  God  except  through 
scientifically  understanding  the  manifestations  of 
the  attributes  of  God? 

"How  can  we  understand  the  nature  of  fire  ex- 
cept from  its  heat,  its  light?  Were  not  heat  and 
light  in  this  fire,  naturally  we  could  not  say  that 
the  fire  existed. 

"Thus  if  there  was  a  time  when  God  did  not 


THE  BAHAI  MESSAGE  TO  SCIENCE  123 

manifest  his  qualities,  then  there  was  no  God,  be- 
cause the  attributes  of  God  presuppose  the  creation 
of  phenomena.  For  example,  by  present  considera- 
tion we  say  that  God  is  the  creator.  Then  there 
must  always  have  been  a  creation  —  since  the  qual- 
ity of  creator  cannot  be  limited  to  the  moment  when 
some  man  or  men  realize  this  attribute.  The  at- 
tributes that  we  discover  one  by  one  —  these  at- 
tributes themselves  necessarily  anticipated  our  dis- 
covery of  them.  Therefore,  God  has  no  beginning 
and  no  ending ;  nor  is  his  creation  limited  ever  as  to 
degree.  Limitations  of  time  and  degree  pertain 
.to  things  created,  never  to  creation  as  a  whole.  They 
pertain  to  the  forms  of  things,  not  to  their  realities. 
The  effulgence  of  God  cannot  be  suspended.  The 
sovereignty  of  God  cannot  be  interrupted. 

"As  long  as  the  sovereignty  of  God  is  imme- 
morial, therefore  the  creation  of  our  world  through- 
out infinity  is  presupposed.  When  we  look  at  the 
reality  of  this  subject,  we  see  that  the  bounties  of 
God  are  infinite,  without  beginning  and  without 
end. 

*'The  greatest  bounties  of  God  in  this  phenomenal 
world  are  his  Manifestations.  This  is  the  greatest 
postulate.  These  Manifestations  are  the  Suns  of 
Reality.  For  it  is  through  the  Manifestation  that 
the  reality  becomes  known  and  established  for  man. 
History  proves  to  us  that  apart  from  the  influence 
of  the  Manifestations,  man  sinks  back  into  his 
animal  condition,  using  even  his  intellectual  power 


124>  BAHAI 

to  subserve  an  animal  purpose.  Therefore  there  is 
no  cessation  whatsoever  in  the  future  for  the  ap- 
pearance of  the  INIanifestations  of  God,  because 
God  is  infinite  and  his  purpose  cannot  be  limited  in 
any  way.  If  we  ever  dare  to  limit  and  circum- 
scribe God's  purpose  within  any  bounds,  then  of 
necessity  we  have  dared  to  set  limitations  to  the 
omnipotence  of  God.  The  created  has  dared  to 
define  his  Creator! 

"Consequently,  the  perfect  man  ever  beholds  the 
rays  of  the  Sun  of  Truth.  The  perfect  man  ever 
awaits  and  expects  the  coming  of  the  effulgence  of 
God.  He  ever  ponders  over  the  methods  and  pur- 
poses of  God,  knowing  that  of  certainty  the  realities 
of  the  Divine  are  not  finite,  the  Divine  names  and 
attributes  are  not  finite,  God's  graces  and  bounties 
are  without  limit,  and  the  coming  of  the  Manifesta- 
tions of  God  are  not  circumscribed  by  time.  Were 
you  to  enter  any  Bahai  gathering  of  the  East,  it 
would  be  difficult  to  tell  who  is  Christian,  who  is 
Jew  —  they  are  like  so  many  flames  that  have  be- 
come one  mighty  flame.  All  these  separate  chan- 
nels, thanks  to  Baha'o'llah,  are  converging  into  one 
world-stream ! " 


THE  BAHAI  MESSAGE   TO  POLITICS 

AND  ECONOMICS 

Baha'o'llah  says:  "The  light  of  men  is  Justice: 
extinguish  it  not  with  the  contrary  winds  of  oppres- 
sion and  tyranny.  The  purpose  of  Justice  is  the 
appearance  of  unity  in  the  world.  In  this  exalted 
Word,  the  sea  of  God's  wisdom  is  moving;  all  the 
books  of  the  world  are  not  sufficient  to  contain  its 
interpretation.  If  the  world  understands  and  ac- 
cepts this  wisdom,  the  light  of  the  declaration :  On 
that  day  God  will  satisfy  them  all  with  His  abund- 
ance—  will  arise  like  the  sun  from  the  heavenly 
horizon.    Happy  is  he  who  heareth  and  attaineth." 

These  words  of  Baha'o'llah,  in  reality,  fulfil  the 
teaching  of  all  the  prophets,  that  spiritual  law  is 
the  permanent  basis  of  human  existence  in  all  its 
aspects.  They  enable  us  to  have  a  truer  under- 
standing of  what  Christ  meant  by  the  saying: 
"Blessed  are  the  meek,  for  they  shall  inherit  the 
earth."  Hitherto,  the  quality  of  meekness,  like  all 
the  qualities,  has  been  given  a  physical  interpreta- 
tion which  limited  its  significance  and  weakened 
its  influence. 

If  we  consider  all  the  new  conditions  brought  into 
the  world  with  the  manifestation  of  Baha'o'llah  — 

125 


126  BAHAI 

all  the  new  economic  and  political  factors  due  to 
science  and  invention  —  we  realize  that  our  era,  in 
its  demands  upon  character,  stands  apart  from  all 
former  times. 

Hitherto,  the  economic  side  of  life  has  been  de- 
veloped from  man's  contact  with  nature.  It  has 
derived  from  human  character  as  established  by- 
struggle  and  competition.  It  has  compelled  the 
individual's  spiritual  vision  to  make  terms  with  the 
overwhelming  influence  of  the  collective  social  or- 
ganism. But  to-day,  science  and  invention  have 
brought  in  an  entirely  new  set  of  factors  which 
separate  man  from  nature.  To-day,  the  essence  of 
economic  stability  and  progress  is  no  longer  com- 
petition, but  cooperation. 

All  the  terrible  conditions  existing  in  the  world 
to-day  are  the  result  of  having  carried  the  physical, 
the  animal  law  of  competition  into  this  new  era  of 
cooperation.  Struggle  and  competition  now  pro- 
duce poverty  instead  of  wealth.  The  principle  of 
this  new  age  is  that  man's  economic  environment  is 
not  nature,  but  his  fellow  man. 

Therefore,  in  order  to  emerge  from  under  the 
terrific  burden  of  our  own  social  machinery,  we  must 
learn  to  base  all  material  activity  upon  laws  of 
human  association.  The  significance  of  these  laws 
must  be  felt  as  instinctively,  as  vitally,  as  have  been 
felt  the  physical  laws  of  survival  in  ages  past 

The  "meek"  shall  indeed  inherit  the  earth,  if  by 
"meek"  we  mean  those  men  and  women  who  can 


THE  BAHAI  MESSAGE  TO  POLITICS         127 

evolve  from  the  individualistic  state  of  mind  into  a 
state  of  mind  reflecting  the  possibilities  of  coopera- 
tion. For  it  is  an  appreciation  of  the  eternal  au- 
thority of  brotherhood,  and  this  alone,  which  can 
displace  the  authority  of  nature  in  molding  the 
character  of  men. 

One  of  the  great  Bahai  teachings  is  consequently 
this:  that  beginning  with  the  Manifestation  of 
Baha'o'llah,  the  world  entered  upon  a  new  cycle 
wherein  the  chasm  between  "real"  and  "ideal"  shall 
be  done  away.  All  that  has  existed  of  aspiration 
shall  for  the  first  time  find  suitable  instruments  of 
expression.  As  the  laws  of  human  association  re- 
place throughout  society  the  laws  of  animal  sur- 
vival, men  will  learn  how  to  realize  the  harmony, 
the  beauty,  the  abundance,  the  free  fellowship  which 
the  myths  of  every  people  have  attributed  to  the 
Golden  Age. 

But  as  Baha'o'llah  declared,  "All  construction  is 
preceded  by  destruction."  Therefore  are  all  in- 
stitutions based  upon  selfishness  undergoing  rapid 
disintegration,  in  order  to  change  the  motives  be- 
hind them  and  permit  a  new  spirit  of  organization 
to  remold  the  world. 

Nothing  can  resist  the  changes  now  taking  place 
throughout  the  world.  Entering  into  every  phase 
of  our  material  life,  the  new  cosmic  force  is  dis- 
rupting them  with  incredible  rapidity  from  within. 
But  this  is  apparent  destruction  only  —  it  is  the 
same  force  which  destroys  the  seed  in  order  that  the 


128  BAHAI 

tree  may  emerge.  From  the  spiritual  point  of  view, 
the  only  question  is  how  long  it  will  take  the  im- 
prisoned giant  of  true  progress  to  break  his  bonds, 
how  much  suffering  mankind  still  requires  before 
we  come  to  realize  that  human  well  being,  and  not 
money,  is  the  true  standard  of  wealth. 

Just  as  nature  works  forward  in  stages  from 
seed  planting  to  harvest,  so  by  stages  the  cosmic 
era  will  establish  its  own  equivalent  economic  and 
political  expression.  The  present  moment  is  the 
stage  of  the  seed  planting,  the  time  when  all  people 
are  separating  themselves  according  to  their  spirit- 
ual capacity.  It  is  the  time  of  outer  sacrifice  yet 
greatest  inward  victory. 

In  reality,  there  is  no  "economic  problem."  What 
appears  as  such  is  merely  one  of  the  bitter  conse- 
quences of  ignorance  of  cosmic  truth. 

But  for  the  guidance  of  the  world  during  this 
period  when  spiritual  vision  is  dim,  Abdul  Baha 
has  made  certain  definite  interpretations  of  the  laws 
of  Baha'o'llah. 

One  of  these  is  the  statement  that  the  necessary 
condition  to  any  and  all  progress  is  international 
disarmament  and  the  organization  of  the  means  for 
preserving  peace.  Under  modern  conditions,  as 
Abdul  Baha  has  said,  war  is  continuous;  the  ex- 
pense of  maintaining  armaments  renders  economic 
stability  impossible. 

Another  Bahai  principle  is  that  agriculture  is  to 
be  regarded  as  the  most  important  industry.    The 


THE  BAHAI  MESSAGE  TO  POLITICS         129 

conditions  affecting  agriculture  should  receive  our 
closest  attention. 

Laws  of  inheritance  are  laid  down  which  affect  a 
distribution  of  accumulated  property  according  to 
just  principles. 

The  status  of  teachers  is  declared  to  be  very  much 
higher  than  it  has  ever  been  regarded  in  previous 
times. 

The  principle  of  personal  property  is  upheld,  as 
opposed  to  any  form  of  communism.  Communism 
makes  it  impossible  to  perform  voluntary  acts  of 
service,  thus  destroying  one  of  the  greatest  means 
to  spiritual  development  while  at  the  same  time 
denying  the  inherent  differences  which  exist  be- 
tween characters  and  capacities. 

Another  Bahai  teaching  is  that  the  present  wage 
system  is  both  unjust  and  pernicious  in  its  effects. 
The  worker  is  to  receive  each  one  a  due  percentage 
of  the  profits. 

The  over-centralization  of  governments  is  de- 
clared to  be  wrong  in  principle,  and  in  practise  as 
making  for  poverty  and  international  misunder- 
standing. The  local  community  is  given  the  func- 
tion of  taxation,  and  taxes  are  to  be  administered 
in  such  a  way  as  to  leave  none  in  unemployment  or 
want.  The  surplus  is  to  be  sent  the  central  govern- 
ment after  the  communitv's  own  needs  have  been 
met.  A  system  of  storage  is  recommended  from 
which  members  of  the  community  can  draw  in  times 
of  scarcity. 


130  BAHAI 

Education  is  made  compulsory.  Every  boy  and 
girl  is  to  learn  some  sj)ecific  trade,  art  or  profession 
by  which  each  member  of  the  community  can  be- 
come self-supporting.  None  is  exempt  from  pro- 
ductive labor.  A  universal  language  is  to  be 
selected  from  among  the  present  languages,  or  a 
new  language  devised,  which  shall  be  taught  in  all 
schools  throughout  the  world  in  addition  to  the 
mother  tongue. 

People  are  to  be  elected  to  resx^onsible  office  for 
their  spiritual  capacity  as  well  as  practical  grasp 
of  affairs. 

Regarding  the  status  of  women,  Abdul  Baha 
has  said:  *'It  is  very  clear  that  in  the  immediate 
future,  women  will  play  a  great  role  in  the  progress 
of  civilization.  The  mothers  are  the  real  educators 
of  the  human  race.  While  women  are  acquiring 
virtues,  studying  sciences,  equipping  themselves  for 
artistic  careers  and  entering  upon  the  field  of  active 
work,  the  old  foundations  are  tottering,  the  old 
earth  is  passing  away,  and  a  new  heaven  is  appear- 
ing. The  importance  of  this  great  fact  is  not  yet 
fully  Ivnown.  It  is  the  sun  of  all  the  questions  of 
this  age." 

Science  is  the  evidence  of  spiritual  reality  upon 
this  plane;  from  science  vvill  humanity  derive  the 
power  to  reorganize  social  existence.  Just  as  ancient 
civilizations  gave  way  to  Feudalism,  and  Feudalism 
disintegrated,  so  will  the  present  order  undergo 
transformation.     The  larger  principle  at  work  is 


THE  BAHAI  MESSAGE  TO  POLITICS         131 

that  the  separation  between  political,  economic, 
artistic  and  religious  activity  can  no  longer  be  ac- 
cepted as  valid  or  necessary.  True  civilization  im- 
plies the  control  of  one  standard  and  not  many. 

The  Montreal  Star  reported  an  address  by 
Abdul  Baha  to  a  meeting  of  Socialists  in  1912  as 
follows : 

"Earth  should  be  a  Paradise! 

"There  are  certain  species  of  life  that  seemingly 
can  live  solitary  and  alone.  Certain  trees,  certain 
animals  and  even  herds  remain  far  from  their  kind. 
But  man  is  necessarily  ever  in  need  of  cooperation 
and  mutual  help, 

**In  reality,  all  mankind  represents  one  family. 
God  desires  that  each  individual  member  of  the 
body  politic  should  live  in  the  utmost  well  being 
and  comfort. 

"If  all  do  not  so  enjoy  life  there  is  a  lack  of  sym- 
metry in  the  body  politic.  Xet  us  look  after  our- 
selves' the  selfish  say;  Xet  others  die,  so  long  as  I 
am  comfortable,  all  is  going  well!'  Such  a  callous 
attitude  is  due  to  lack  of  working  law. 

"Abdul  Baha  then  outlined  a  scheme  formu- 
lated^*^  by  BahaVllah  for  ensuring  the  economic 
happiness  of  the  world.  In  this  plan  farmers  are 
first  to  be  dealt  with,  for  the  agricultural  industry 


"It  is  a  Bahai  teaching  that  each  local  House  of  Justice  shall 
have  the  right  to  work  out  the  details  of  its  own  administrative 
problems. 


132  BAHAI 

is  the  most  important  and  the  most  useful  in  the 
national  life.  It  provides  that  every  village  com- 
munity have  a  general  storehouse  to  v^hich  a  num- 
ber of  revenues  would  come.  This  income  from  the 
communal  fund  would  include  tithes,  a  certain  per- 
centage from  the  number  of  animals  and  one-third 
from  mines  and  minerals. 

''Should  anyone  die  without  an  heir,  all  his  wealth 
would  revert  to  the  general  storehouse  and  any 
treasure  trove  discovered  would  become  public 
property. 

*'The  plan  further  advocates  that  tithes  be  col- 
lected from  the  farmers  on  a  graduated  scale.  If  a 
man's  necessary  expenses  equal  his  income  he  would 
pay  nothing.  If  one  had  an  expenditure  of  a  thou- 
sand dollars  and  an  income  of  two  thousand,  he 
would  pay  one-tenth;  from  one  having  an  income 
of  ten  thousand  dollars  and  expense  of  one  thou- 
sand, two-tenths  would  be  exacted.  ...  If  the  in- 
come were  two  hundred  thousand  dollars  and  the 
expense  ten  thousand,  then  the  community  would 
exact  one-half. 

"From  this  general  store  house  the  less  fortunate 
members  of  the  commonwealth  would  draw  to 
secure  their  share  of  the  common  welfare. 

"There  would  be  no  poverty  in  the  community. 
Orphans,  cripples,  the  poor,  the  blind,  the  deaf,  the 
aged,  the  helpless  would  be  looked  after.  The  peo- 
ple themselves  would  elect  trustees  for  the  admin- 
istration of  the  public  trust. 


THE  BAHAI  MESSAGE  TO  POLITICS         133 

"Whatever  surplus  there  might  be  after  all  were 
provided  for  would  go  to  the  national  exchequer. 
For  the  large  cities,  such  a  plan  would  be  carried 
out  on  a  much  more  extended  scale. 

"Under  this  system  every  member  of  the  com- 
munity would  live  in  comfort,  without  fear  and 
without  being  under  obligations  to  any. 

"Degrees  or  grades  would  not  be  abolished. 
These  would  be  necessar}^  as  in  an  army  it  is  neces- 
sary to  have  marshals,  generals,  colonels,  sergeants 
and  privates.  But  notwithstanding  the  grades,  all 
would  have  the  right  to  share  in  the  general  well 
being. 

"The  earth  can  be  made  a  Paradise!  Let  all  the 
servants  of  God  ever  strive  that  such  a  great  hap- 
piness may  accrue  to  the  world  of  humanity." 

As  regards  the  political  problem  which  to-day 
stands  as  the  one  World  Issue  —  the  problem  of 
International  Peace  —  we  have  these  illuminating 
words  from  Abdul  Baha.  They  were  written  in  a 
Tablet  to  the  Central  Organization  for  a  Durable 
Peace,  The  Hague,  Holland,  and  dated  Haifa, 
Palestine,  December  17th,  1919.  It  is  interesting 
to  note,  in  passing,  that  the  above  date  was  that  of 
the  time  when,  on  account  of  the  strange  alignment 
of  the  planets,  many  people  thought  "the  world  was 
coming  to  an  end."  Cosmic  thought  teaches  us 
clearly  enough  that  the  only  "worlds"  which  ever 
"come  to  an  end"  are  the  worlds  of  consciousness  — 
the  cycles  of  civilization  measured  by  subjective  be- 


134  BAHAI 

liefs,  attitudes,  degrees  of  knowledge,  etc.  Decem- 
ber 17th,  1919,  therefore,  may  be  taken  to  mark  the 
end  of  the  world's  necessity  to  believe  in  War ! 

To  quote  from  the  above  Tablet: 

"There  is  not  one  soul  whose  conscience  does  not 
testify  that  in  this  day  there  is  no  more  important 
matter  in  the  world  than  that  of  Universal  Peace. 
Every  just  one  bears  witness  to  this,  and  adores  that 
esteemed  Assembly  (the  Central  Organization  for 
a  Durable  Peace)  because  its  aim  is  that  this  dark- 
ness may  be  changed  into  light,  this  blood-thirstiness 
into  kindness,  this  torment  into  bliss,  this  hardship 
into  ease,  and  this  hatred  and  enmity  into  fellow- 
ship and  love.  Therefore,  the  effort  of  those 
esteemed  souls  is  worthy  of  praise  and  commenda- 
tion. 

"But  the  wise  souls  who  are  aware  of  the  essential 
relationship  emanating  from  the  realities  of  things 
consider  that  one  single  matter  cannot,  by  itself, 
influence  the  human  reality  as  it  ought  and  should, 
for  until  the  minds  of  men  become  united,  no  im- 
portant matter  can  be  accomplished.  At  present 
Universal  Peace  is  a  matter  of  great  importance, 
but  unity  of  conscience  is  essential,  so  that  the 
foundation  of  this  matter  may  become  secure,  its 
establishment  firm  and  its  edifice  strong. 

"Therefore  His  Holiness  Baha'o'llah,  fifty  years 
ago,  expounded  this  question  of  Universal  Peace 
at  a  time  when  he  was  confined  in  the  fortress  of 
Acca  and  was  wronged  and  imprisoned.    He  wrote 


THE  BAHAI  MESSAGE  TO  POLITICS         135 

about  this  important  matter  of  Universal  Peace  to 
all  the  great  sovereigns  of  the  world,  and  established 
it  among  his  friends  in  the  East.  The  horizon  of 
the  East  was  in  utter  darkness,  nations  displayed 
the  utmost  hatred  and  enmity  toward  each  other,  re- 
ligions thirsted  for  each  other's  blood,  and  it  was 
darkness  upon  darkness.  At  such  a  time  His  Holi- 
ness Baha'o'llah  shone  forth  like  the  sun  from  the 
horizon  of  the  East  and  illumined  Persia  with  the 
lights  of  these  teachings.  ... 

"The  scope  of  Universal  Peace  must  be  such  that 
all  the  communities  and  religions  may  find  their 
highest  wish  realized  in  it.  At  present  the  teachings 
of  His  Holiness  Baha'o'llah  are  such  that  all  the 
communities  of  the  world,  whether  religious,  politi- 
cal or  ethical,  ancient  or  modern,  find  in  the  teach- 
ings of  Baha'o'llah  the  expression  of  their  highest 
wish.  .    .    . 

*'For  example,  the  question  of  Universal  Peace, 
about  which  His  Holiness  Baha'o'llah  says  that  the 
Supreme  Tribunal  must  be  established:  although 
the  League  of  Nations  has  been  brought  into  exist- 
ence, yet  it  is  incapable  of  establishing  Universal 
Peace.  But  the  Supreme  Tribunal  which  His 
Holiness  Baha'o'llah  has  described  will  fulfill  this 
sacred  task  with  the  utmost  might  and  power.  And 
his  plan  is  this :  that  the  national  assemblies  of  each 
country  and  nation  —  that  is  to  say,  their  parlia- 
ments —  should  elect  two  or  three  persons  who  are 
the  choicest  men  of  that  nation,  and  are  well  in- 


136  BAHAI 

formed  concerning  international  laws  and  the  rela- 
tions between  governments  and  aware  of  the  es- 
sential needs  of  the  world  of  humanity  in  this  day. 
The  number  of  these  representatives  should  be  in 
proportion  to  the  number  of  inhabitants  of  that 
country.  The  election  of  these  souls  who  are  chosen 
by  the  national  assembly,  that  is,  the  parliament, 
must  be  confirmed  by  the  upper  house,  the  congress 
and  the  cabinet  and  also  by  the  president  or  monarch 
so  that  these  persons  may  be  the  elected  ones  of  all 
the  nation  and  the  government.  From  among  these 
people  the  members  of  the  Supreme  Tribunal  will 
be  elected,  and  all  mankind  will  thus  have  a  share 
therein,  for  every  one  of  these  delegates  is  fully 
representative  of  his  nation.  When  the  Supreme 
Tribunal  gives  a  ruling  on  any  international  ques- 
tion, either  unanimously  or  by  majority-rule,  there 
will  no  longer  be  any  pretext  for  the  plaintiff  or 
ground  of  objection  for  the  defendant.  In  case  any 
of  the  governments  or  nations,  in  the  execution  of 
the  irrefutable  decision  of  the  Supreme  Tribunal, 
be  negligent  or  dilatory,  the  rest  of  the  nations  will 
rise  up  against  it,  because  all  the  governments  and 
nations  of  the  world  are  the  supporters  of  this  Su- 
preme Tribimal.  Consider  what  a  firm  foundation 
this  is !  But  by  a  limited  and  restricted  League  the 
purpose  will  not  be  realized  as  it  ought  and  should. 
This  is  the  truth  about  the  situation,  which  has  been 
stated.  .    .    . 

"To-day  nothing  but  the  power  of  the  Word  of 


THE  BAHAI  MESSAGE  TO  POLITICS         137 

God  which  encompasses  the  realities  of  things  can 
bring  the  thoughts,  the  minds,  the  hearts  and  the 
spirits  under  the  shade  of  One  Tree.  He  is  the 
potent  in  all  things,  the  Vivifier  of  souls,  the  Pre- 
server and  the  Controller  of  the  world  of  mankind. 
Praise  be  to  God,  in  this  day  the  light  of  the  Word 
of  God  has  shone  forth  upon  all  regions,  and  from 
all  sects,  communities,  nations,  tribes,  peoples,  re- 
ligions and  denominations,  souls  have  gathered  to- 
gether under  the  shadow  of  the  Word  of  Oneness 
and  have  in  the  most  intimate  fellowship  united  and 
harmonized!" 

To  quote  from  another  Tablet  of  Abdul  Baha 
which  Abdul  Baha  himself  enclosed  with  the  above 
Tablet  addressed  to  the  Central  Organization  for  a 
Durable  Peace. 

"The  Blessed  Beauty  (Baha'o'llah)  said:  All 
are  the  fruits  of  one  tree  and  the  leaves  of  one 
branch.  .  .  .  Thus  the  friends  of  God  must  mani- 
fest the  mercy  of  the  Compassionate  Lord  in  the 
world  of  existence  and  must  show  forth  the  bounty 
of  the  visible  and  invisible  King  ...  O  ye  dear 
friends!  The  darkness  of  unfaithfulness  has  en- 
shrouded the  earth  and  the  illumination  of  faithful- 
ness has  become  concealed.  .  .  .  The  edifice  of  man 
is  shattered.  ...  In  all  regions  friendship  and  up- 
rightness are  denounced,  and  reconciliation  and  re- 
gard for  truth  are  despised.  The  herald  of  peace, 
reformation,  love  and  reconciliation  is  the  Religion 
of  the  Blessed  Beauty  w^hich  has  pitched  its  tent  on 


138  BAHAI 

the  apex  of  the  world  (of  consciousness)  and  pro- 
claimed its  summons  to  the  people. 

"Then,  O  ye  friends  of  God!  Appreciate  the 
value  of  this  precious  Revelation,  move  and  act  in 
.accordance  with  it  and  walk  in  the  straight  path 
and  the  right  way.  Show  it  to  the  people.  Raise 
the  melody  of  the  Kingdom  and  spread  abroad  the 
teachings  and  ordinances  of  the  loving  Lord  so  that 
the  world  may  become  another  world,  the  darkened 
earth  may  become  illumined  and  the  dead  body  of 
the  people  may  obtain  new  life.  Every  soul  may 
seek  everlasting  life  through  the  breath  of  the 
Merciful.  Life  in  this  mortal  world  will  quickly 
come  to  an  end,  and  this  earthly  glory,  wealth,  com- 
fort and  happiness  will  soon  vanish  and  be  no  more. 
Summon  ye  the  people  to  God  and  call  the  souls 
to  the  manners  and  conduct  of  the  Supreme  Con- 
course. .  .  .  Every  soul  of  the  friends  of  God  must 
concentrate  his  mind  on  this,  that  he  may  manifest 
the  mercy  of  God  and  the  bounty  of  the  Forgiving 
One.  He  must  do  good  to  every  soul  whom  he  en- 
counters, and  render  benefit  to  him,  becoming  the 
cause  of  improving  the  morals  and  correcting  the 
thoughts  so  that  the  light  of  guidance  may  shine 
forth  and  the  bounty  of  His  Holiness  the  Merciful 
One  may  encompass.  Love  is  light  in  whatsoever 
house  it  may  shine,  and  enmity  is  darkness  in  what- 
soever abode  it  dwell."  —  Abdul  Baha. 


THE  BAHAI  MESSAGE  TO  CHRISTIAN 
SCIENCE  AND  NEW  THOUGHT 

The  Christian  Science  Movement  —  and  the 
various  groups  generally  kno^vn  as  followers  of 
New  Thought  —  suffer  particularly  from  the  fact 
already  pointed  out  in  this  book,  namely  that  term- 
inology and  organization  blind  us  all  to  each  other's 
spiritual  reality.  Thus  among  the  Christian  Scien- 
tists and  New  Thought  groups  there  are  many  who 
regard  their  membership  as  an  opportunity  to  ac- 
quire merely  a  new  and  superior  method  to  attain 
material  wealth,  comfort,  health  and  ease.  Such 
people  seriously  vitiate  the  real  purpose  of  the 
great  Source  of  Reality  —  seriously  abuse  the  cos- 
mic forces  which  otherwise,  without  these  people, 
would  undoubtedly  be  manifested  far  more  near  to 
its  real  purity  than  it  can  be  manifested  now. 

When  the  Sun  of  Truth  arose,  the  power  of  the 
spirit  was  forevermore  firmly  established  over  the 
power  of  the  flesh.  This  "earth  consciousness"  was 
transformed  into  "heaven  consciousness"  by  that 
Divine  Decree.  The  human  founders  of  Christian 
Science  and  New  Thought  therefore  are  seen  clearly 
to  have  put  into  active  operation  the  reality  of 
"heaven  consciousness."    They  are  to  be  regarded 

139 


140  BAHAI 

as  among  the  mightiest  proofs  of  the  Cause  of  God. 
So,  considering  the  meaning  of  Spiritual  Reality  as 
a  whole,  we  can  begin  to  realize  how  far  certain 
members  of  these  organizations  have  attempted  to 
draw  them  from  their  divine  purpose.  For  the 
^'heaven  consciousness"  was  established  not  to  per- 
mit merely  a  new  attainment  of  physical  health  and 
material  prosperity,  but  to  render  it  possible  for 
pure  men  and  women  everywhere  to  attain  Reality 
—  to  live  the  new  life  of  God.  Did  Christ  manifest 
**  money  consciousness"  —  did  He  use  His  power 
to  turn  away  one  drop  from  the  cup  of  suffering? 
Rather  did  Christ  manifest  the  correct  way  for  us 
all  to  employ  our  spiritual  power.  For  the  Cosmic 
Law  only  makes  the  physical  world  an  unreality  to 
open  gates  to  a  world  of  spiritual  reality. 

No  more  tremendous  passage  exists  in  any  of  the 
world's  Scriptures  than  that  message  sent  by  Baha'- 
o'llah,  imprisoned  and  condemned,  to  the  Shah  of 
Persia,  at  that  time  one  of  the  most  absolute  of 
monarchs.  The  contrast  between  material  and 
spiritual  glory,  between  temporal  and  eternal 
power,  is  etched  upon  the  heart  beyond  forget : 

"I  was  asleep  on  my  couch.  The  breaths  of  my 
Lord,  the  Merciful,  passed  by  me  and  awakened  me, 
and  commanded  me  to  proclaim  (His  Cause)  be- 
tween heaven  and  earth.  This  was  not  of  me,  but 
of  God,  and  to  this  bear  witness  the  denizens  of  the 
realms  of  His  power  and  His  kingdom,  and  the 
inhabitants  of  the  cities  of  His  glory.    I  am  not  im- 


BAHAI  MESSAGE  TO  CHRISTIAN  SCIENCE  141 

patient  of  calamities  in  His  way,  nor  of  afflictions 
which  are  as  a  morning  shower  to  His  green  pas- 
ture, and  as  a  wick  for  His  lamp  whereby  heaven 
and  earth  are  illumined. 

''Shall  that  which  anyone  hath  of  wealth  endure 
unto  him,  or  prevail  tomorrow  with  him  who  hold- 
eth  his  forelock?  If  any  should  look  upon  those  who 
sleep  under  monuments  and  keep  company  with  the 
dust,  can  he  distinguish  the  bones  of  the  king's  skull 
from  the  knuckles  of  the  slave?  No,  by  the  King  of 
Kings !  .  .  .  Where  is  the  keenness  of  their  glances, 
the  sharpness  of  their  vision,  the  soundness  of  their 
understanding?  By  God,  distinction  is  removed, 
save  from  him  who  fulfilled  righteousness  and 
judged  with  equity.  .  .  .Alas!  All  have  been  laid 
waste,  and  the  decree  of  God  hath  rendered  them 
as  scattered  dust !  Emptied  is  what  they  treasured 
up,  and  dissipated  is  what  they  collected,  and  dis- 
persed is  what  they  concealed.  They  have  become 
such  that  thou  seest  naught  but  their  empty  places, 
their  gaping  roofs,  their  uprooted  beams,  their  new 
things  waxed  old.  As  for  the  discerning  man,  verily 
wealth  will  not  divert  him  from  regarding  the  end ; 
and  as  for  the  prudent  man,  riches  will  not  withhold 
him  from  turning  toward  God,  the  Rich,  the  Ex- 
alted. .  .  .  Where  are  they  at  whose  bounty  treas- 
ures were  consumed,  by  whose  openhandedness  and 
generosity  the  ocean  was  outdone?  .  .  .  Woe  imto 
them!  They  have  descended  to  the  abyss  and  be- 
come companions  to  the  pebbles;  to-day  no  men- 


142  BAHAI 

tion  is  heard  of  them  nor  any  sound;  nothing  is 
known  of  them  nor  any  hint.  Will  the  people  dis- 
pute it  while  they  behold  it?  Will  they  deny  while 
they  loiow  it?  I  know  not  in  what  valley  they 
wander  erringly;  do  they  not  see  that  they  depart 
and  have  no  return?  How  long  will  they  be  de- 
scending and  ascending,  spiritually  rising  and  fall- 
ing? Has  the  time  not  yet  come  to  those  who  be- 
lieve, for  their  hearts  to  become  humble  for  the  re- 
membrance of  God?  .  .  .  Alas!  Naught  is  reaped 
but  what  is  sown,  and  naught  is  taken  but  what  is 
laid  up,  save  by  the  grace  of  God  and  His  com- 
passion. .  .  .  Have  we  any  good  works  whereby 
defects  shall  be  removed  or  which  shall  bring  us 
near  unto  the  Lord  of  causes?  We  ask  God  to 
deal  with  us  according  to  His  grace,  not  according 
to  His  justice,  and  to  make  us  of  those  who  turn 
toward  Him  and  are  severed  from  all  save  Him." 

Abdul  Baha  constantly  reminds  us  of  the  true 
Christian  Science,  the  true  New  Thought: 

"All  that  has  been  created  is  for  man,  who  is  at 
the  apex  of  creation  and  who  must  be  thankful  for 
the  divine  bestowals.  All  material  things  are  for 
us,  so  that  through  our  gratitude  we  may  learn  to 
understand  life  as  a  divine  benefit.  If  we  are  dis- 
gusted with  life,  we  are  ingrates,  for  our  material 
and  spiritual  existence  are  the  outward  evidences 
of  the  divine  mercy.  Therefore  we  must  be  happy 
and  pass  our  time  in  praises,  appreciating  all  things. 
But  there  is  something  else  —  detachment.    We  can 


BAHAI  MESSAGE  TO  CHRISTIAN  SCIENCE  143 

appreciate,  without  attaching  ourselves  to  the  things 
of  this  world. 

"It  sometimes  happens  that  if  a  man  loses  his 
fortune  he  is  so  disheartened  that  he  dies  or  becomes 
insane.  While  enjoying  the  things  of  this  world, 
we  must  remember  that  perhaps  some  day  we  shall 
have  to  do  without  them.  Attach  not  thyself  to 
anything  unless  in  it  thou  seest  the  reality  of  God. 
This  is  the  first  step  into  the  court  of  eternity.  The 
earth  life  lasts  but  a  short  time,  even  its  benefits 
are  transitory;  that  which  is  temporary  does  not 
deserve  our  heart's  attachment. 

"Material  favors  sometimes  deprive  us  of 
spiritual  favors,  and  material  rest  of  spiritual  rest. 
A  rich  man  said  to  Christ,  'I  would  fain  be  thy  dis- 
ciple.' 'Go  and  put  into  practise  the  ten  command- 
ments,' replied  the  Christ.  *But  I  know  them  by 
heart  and  have  always  practised  them.'  *Then  sell 
what  thou  hast  and  take  up  thy  cross  and  follow  me.' 
The  man  returned  to  his  home.  But  the  rich  who 
are  attracted  through  their  hearts  have  the  spark 
and  are  like  unto  brilliant  torches.  Baha'o'llah  has 
spoken  of  the  importance  of  this  station.  Certain 
rich  ones  have  sacrificed  their  possessions  and  even 
their  lives  for  this  Cause.  Riches  were  not  an  ob- 
stacle for  them,  and  they  are  like  stars  in  the  heavens 
of  both  worlds  —  flames  of  reality. 

"Detachment  does  not  consist  in  setting  fire  to 
one's  house,  or  becoming  bankrupt,  or  throwing 
one's  fortune  out  of  the  window,  or  even  in  giving 


144  BAHAI 

away  all  one's  possessions.  Detachment  consists  in 
refraining  from  letting  our  possessions  possess  us. 
A  prosperous  merchant  who  is  not  attached  to  his 
business  knows  detachment.  A  banker  whose  occu- 
pation does  not  prevent  him  from  serving  humanity 
is  detached.  A  poor  man  can  be  attached  to  a  small 
thing. 

"May  our  spirit  be  at  rest! 

"God  has  given  man  a  heart,  and  the  heart  must 
have  some  attachment.  We  have  proved  that  noth- 
ing is  completely  worthy  of  our  heart's  devotion 
save  reality,  for  all  else  is  destined  to  perish.  There- 
fore the  heart  is  never  at  rest,  and  never  finds  real 
joy  and  happiness  until  it  attaches  itself  to  the 
eternal.  How  foolish  the  bird  that  builds  its  nest  in 
a  tree  that  may  perish,  when  it  could  build  its  nest 
in  an  ever-verdant  garden  of  paradise. 

"Man  must  attach  himself  to  an  infinite  reality, 
so  that  his  glory,  his  joy,  and  his  progress  may  be 
infinite.  Only  the  spirit  is  real;  everything  else 
is  as  shadow.  All  bodies  disintegrate  in  the  end; 
only  reality  subsists.  All  physical  perfections  come 
to  an  end ;  but  the  divine  virtues  are  infinite.  .  .   . 

"Therefore  let  us  yearn  for  the  kingdom  of  God, 
so  that  our  works  may  bear  eternal  fruit.  Other- 
wise the  flower  will  be  lost.  Attach  your  hearts  to 
Baha'o'llah.  He  is  the  eternal  Glory  of  God. 
Then,  from  day  to  day,  you  will  become  more  en- 
lightened; day  by  day  your  power  will  increase; 
day  by  day  your  work  will  become  universal,  ^nd 


BAHAI  MESSAGE  TO  CHRISTIAN  SCIENCE  145 

day  by  day  your  horizon  will  broaden,  until  in  the 
end  they  will  embrace  the  universe. 
"Glory  be  upon  the  people  of  Glory!" 


THE      BAHAI      MESSAGE      TO 
THEOSOPHY. 

No  more  penetrating  or  interesting  talks  were 
delivered  in  Euro]3e  and  America  by  Abdul  Baha 
than  those  uttered  as  guest  of  Theosophical  So- 
cieties in  various  cities. 

The  Theosophist  who  brings  his  wealth  of  knowl- 
edge to  the  investigation  of  Bahai  Principles,  will 
undoubtedly  appreciate  that  the  power  of  the  Cause 
of  God  is  that  inspiration  on  the  plane  of  conscious- 
ness which  animates  and  revives  the  thought  body 
created  by  his  own  profound  study.  Here  is  the 
^'Doctrine  of  the  Heart"  which  all  teachers  have 
declared  to  be  so  much  more  important  than  the 
"Doctrine  of  the  Eye." 

When  the  Sun  of  Truth  arose,  it  necessarily  cast 
a  shadow  behind  each  of  our  conscious  activities. 
A  lesser  activity  cast  a  lesser  shadow,  but  a  greater 
activity  cast  a  greater  shadow.  This  is  that  "nega- 
tive" against  which  H.  P.  B.  constantly  warned 
her  students. 

The  study,  or  development,  implied  by  the  true 
Theosophy  is  unquestionably  the  greatest  activity 
on  the  plane  of  consciousness  at  the  present  time. 
For  Theosophy  — H.  P.  B.'s  Theosophy  —  rises 

146 


THE  BAHAI  MESSAGE  TO  THEOSOPHY       U7 

like  a  tremendous  mountain  from  the  low  levels  of 
Western  thought.  The  positive  side  of  Theoso^^hy 
is  therefore  shining  the  brightest  in  the  light  of  the 
Spiritual  Sun ;  but  since  this  is  so,  the  negative  side 
must  likewise  stand  in  the  deepest  gloom. 

The  following  Tablet  by  Baha'o'llah  is  on  the 
subject  of  Divine  IManifestation. 

"Know  thou  verily,  the  Manifestation  is  not  com- 
posed of  the  four  elements  (earth,  air,  fire  and  w^a- 
ter)  nay,  rather  He  is  the  Mystery  of  Oneness  of 
the  Ancient  Identity,  the  Eternal  Essence,  the  Un- 
knowable Reality,  and  that  verily  He  can  never 
be  comprehended  by  any  other  save  Himself. 

*'He  is  a  Sea  upon  which  no  one  can  sail  inas- 
much as  all  that  thou  mavest  see  in  the  heaven  and 
earth  is  created  by  His  Word.  He  is  not  a  mani- 
festation in  Himself,  but  rather  He  is  a  Manifesta- 
tion in  His  Identity;  and  that  is  what  We  have 
mentioned  to  thee  in  the  Divine  Mystery  and  the 
Eternal  Essence.  As  to  the  bodies,  verily  thej^  are 
as  thrones  for  His  ISIanifestations  of  which  no  one 
is  informed  save  Himself. 

"These  bodies,  though  they  have  appeared  in  the 
world  of  creation  in  the  temples  in  which  thou  hast 
them  (Moses,  Jesus,  INIohamet,  etc.),  yet  wert  thou 
to  gaze  upon  them  with  the  eye  of  Reality  and  in- 
nate consciousness  thou  too  wouldst  testify  that  al- 
though  They  are  created  from  the  elements  yet 
They  are  sanctified  from  them  to  such  an  extent 
that  there  is  no  similitude  between  Them  and  other 


148  BAHAI 

bodies.     Consider  the  diamond:  can  the  stones  be 
compared  to  it? 

"Were  they  not  to  be  Their  temples,  the  bodies 
of  His  servants  would  not  have  been  created !  Wert 
thou  minutely  to  consider  thou  wouldst  fmd  that 
verily  all  in  the  heaven  and  earth  are  created  from 
Their  outward  temples,  and  that  all  the  worlds  of 
Thy  Lord  seek  help  from  the  appearance  of  the 
Manifestations  of  God.  In  every  world  He  ap- 
pears according  to  the  capacity  of  that  world. 

"In  the  world  of  Spirit  He  manifests  Himself 
to  them  and  appears  unto  them  with  the  signs  of 
Spirit. 

"So,  likewise,  in  bodies,  in  the  world  of  Names 
and  Attributes  and  in  the  worlds  which  are  not 
known  to  any  save  God.  All  of  these  worlds  have 
their  position  with  relation  to  the  Manifestation. 
He  appears  unto  them  in  His  form  so  that  He, 
their  Lord,  may  direct  them  and  draw  them  nearer 
to  the  seat  of  His  Command,  and  cause  them  to 
attain  to  that  which  was  ordained  for  them.  As 
His  Reality  is  not  Ivnown,  so  all  that  which  is  re- 
lated to  Him  is  not  known,  except  to  a  certain 
degree.  Consider  the  goldsmith;  verily  he  makes 
a  ring,  and  although  he  is  its  maker  yet  he  adorns 
his  finger  with  it.  Likewise  through  God  the  Ex- 
alted appears  the  clothing  of  the  creatures.  Verily 
these  bodies  are  the  Thrones  of  the  Merciful  One. 
They  have  no  like  in  creation  nor  any  equal  in  the 
world  of  emanation. 


THE  BAHAI  MESSAGE  TO  THEOSOPHY      149 

"From  their  elements  all  has  appeared  in  such 
wise  that  thou  wilt  find  that  verily  from  Their  Fire 
the  fire  hath  appeared  in  the  universe  and  hath 
spoken  in  the  lofty  Sinai  to  Moses,  and  from  Their 
Waters  thou  findest  every  soul  living  and  immortal. 

"So  likewise  consider  Its  other  elements,  but  with 
manifest  certainty.  .  .  .  Every  power  is  in  This, 
wert  thou  to  reflect;  every  grace  is  in  This  wert 
thou  of  those  who  perceive.  .   .   . 

*'I  beg  of  God  to  manifest  His  Cause  in  all  coun- 
tries that  the  servants  may  attain  such  a  position 
that  He  may  explain  to  them  that  which  He  desires 
without  veiling  or  concealment. 

"By  My  Life,  O  friend,  wert  thou  to  taste  such 
fruits  from  the  verdure  of  these  hyacinths  which  are 
planted  in  the  grounds  of  knowledge,  near  the 
manifestation  of  the  lights  of  the  Essence  in  the 
mirrors  of  Names  and  Attributes,  yearning  will 
take  the  reins  of  patience  and  fortitude  from  thy 
grasp,  thy  soul  will  stir  through  the  flashes  of  lights, 
will  uplift  thee  out  of  the  earthly  abode  unto  the 
original,  divine  abode  in  the  center  of  significances ; 
and  will  cause  thee  to  ascend  unto  such  a  state  that 
thou  wilt  fly  away  in  the  air  just  as  thou  wouldst 
walk  on  the  ground,  and  run  on  the  water  even  as 
thou  wouldst  on  the  earth. 

"Peace  be  upon  those  who  follow  guidance!" 

Baha'o'llah. 

On  April  12th,  1913,  Abdul  Baha  attended  a 


150  BAHAI 

meeting  of  the  Star  of  the  East  in  the  headquarters 
of  the  Theosophical  Society,  Budapest,  Hungary. 

This  meeting  was  opened  by  five  minutes  of  sil- 
ence, after  which  the  president  read  the  following 
prayer  for  the  coming  of  the  Universal  Teacher: 
Master  of  the  Great  White  Lodge,  Lord  of  the  re- 
ligions of  the  world !  Come  down  again  to  the  earth 
that  needs  Thee,  and  help  the  nations  which  are 
longing  for  Thy  presence.  Speak  the  word  of 
Peace,  that  the  people  may  cease  from  hostilities. 
Speak  the  word  of  Brotherhood,  that  the  warring 
classes  and  castes  may  know  themselves  as  one. 
Come  in  the  might  of  Thy  Love.  Come  in  the 
splendor  of  Thy  Power,  and  save  the  world  that  is 
longing  for  Thy  coming.  Thou  art  the  teacher 
alike  of  angels  and  of  men! 

To  the  Theosophists  of  Budapest,  Abdul  Baha 
gave  this  message:  "As  to  the  coming  of  the  Great 
Master.  His  appearance  is  dependent  upon  the 
realization  of  certain  conditions.  Investigate  the 
reality,  and  in  whomsoever  those  conditions  are  ful- 
filled, know  ye  of  a  certainty  that  He  is  the  Great 
Master. 

* 'First.  The  Great  Master  will  be  the  educator 
of  the  world  of  humanity. 

"Second.  His  teachings  must  be  universal  and 
confer  illumination  upon  mankind. 

"Third.  His  knowledge  must  be  innate  and 
spontaneous,  and  not  acquired  knowledge. 

'Fourth.    He  must  answer  the  questions  of  all 


<<■ 


THE  BAHAI  MESSAGE  TO  THEOSOPHY      151 

the  sages,  solve  all  the  difficult  problems  of  human- 
ity, and  be  able  to  withstand  all  the  persecutions 
and  sufferings  heaped  upon  Him. 

*Tifth.  He  must  be  a  joy-bringer  and  the  herald 
of  the  Kingdom  of  Happiness. 

"Sixth.  His  loiowledge  must  be  infinite  and  His 
wisdom  all-comprehensive. 

"Seventh.  The  penetration  of  His  word  and  the 
potency  of  His  influence  must  be  so  great  as  to 
humble  even  His  worst  enemies. 

"Eighth.  Sorrows  and  tribulations  must  not  vex 
Him.  His  courage  and  conviction  must  be  godlike. 
Day  by  day  He  must  become  firmer  and  more  zeal- 
ous. 

"Ninth.  He  must  be  the  establisher  of  universal 
civilization,  the  unifier  of  religions,  the  standard- 
bearer  of  imiversal  peace  and  the  embodiment  of  all 
the  highest  and  noblest  virtues  of  the  world  of 
humanity. 

"Wherever  vou  find  these  conditions  realized  in 
a  human  temple,  turn  to  Him  for  guidance  and 
illumination." 


PART    TWO 


'^Praise  be  to  God  that  the  radiant  century  hath  come. 
Praise  be  to  God,  the  springtime  of  eternity  hath  pitched  its 
tent.  Praise  be  to  God,  this  is  the  age  of  the  discovery  of 
the  realities  of  things.  Verily  I  say  unto  you,  this  age  is  the 
age  of  science.  This  age  is  the  age  of  the  appearance  of 
truth.  This  age  is  the  age  of  the  extension  of  the  sphere  of 
thought.  This  age  is  the  greatest  divine  age.  This  age  is 
the  age  of  everlasting  life.  This  age  is  the  age  of  the  breaths 
of  the  Holy  Spirit.  This  age  is  the  age  of  the  floivering  of 
all  the  hidden  virtues  of  the  world  of  humanity, 

"May  you  receive  these  bounties  day  by  day.  Day  by  day 
may  you  draw  nearer  unto  God.  May  you  be  submerged  in 
the  sea  of  these  irridescent  lights.  May  you  be  characterised 
by  these  praiseworthy  virtues, 

"This  is  the  ultimate  goal  of  human  life!  This  is  the  fruit 
of  existence!  This  is  the  brilliant  pearl  of  cosmic  conscious- 
ness!    This  is  the  shining  star  of  spiritual  destiny!  " 

—  Abdul  Baha. 


THE   SPIRIT  OF  THE  AGE 

"By  God,  "wJio  is  the  only  God,  and  there  is  no  God  hut  He, 
this  servant  swears  the  masters  did  not  come  that  man  should 
adore  them,  or  worship  them,  or  acknowledge  their  prophet- 
hood.  No!  rather  the  masters  of  all  time  have  suffered  for 
no  other  purpose  than  this  —  that  fleshly  veils  might  be  rent 
asunder  and  reality  become  manifest/'  —  Abdul  Baha. 

Few  people  to-day  would  agree  with  the  state- 
ment of  Socrates,  that  to  know  the  truth  is  to  live 
the  truth.  For  we  see  on  all  sides  a  science  that 
does  not  explain,  and  a  religion  that  cannot  inspire. 

But  since  Socrates'  own  life  exemplified  perfectly 
his  statement  about  life,  we  must  acknowledge  that 
in  him  at  least,  truth  was  identical  with  will. 

Now  this  condition  glorifies  both  truth  and  will, 
perfecting  knowledge  through  power,  perfecting 
will  through  wisdom.  If  we  consider  this  condition 
carefully,  we  must  acloiowledge  further  that  it  was 
possessed  by  Paul,  representative  of  Christianity, 
and  by  Daniel,  representing  ancient  Chaldea.  It 
was  possessed  also  by  Emerson,  the  soul  of  the 
American  people,  and  a  little  investigation  will 
show  this  condition  manifested  likewise  by  men  of 
every  religion  and  race  in  the  world. 

155 


156  BAHAI 

But  for  the  most  part  we  moderns  have  lost  the 
guidance  of  this  universal  human  ideal,  this  true 
state  and  dignity  of  man  —  the  meeting  and  fusing 
of  truth  and  will  —  which  nevertheless  remains  as 
the  end  of  all  study  and  the  beginning  of  all  desire. 

How  was  the  ideal  lost?  By  confusing  the  com- 
mon purpose  of  those  masters  of  wisdom,  those 
sources  of  faith,  those  guiders  of  will,  those  lords 
of  love, —  Buddha,  Krishna,  Zoroaster,  Moses, 
Jesus,  Mohamet.  By  blindly  calling  them  GOD 
instead  of  recognizing  them  as  Manifestations  of 
God.  By  prostituting  their  pure  influence  to  secure 
material  authority.  By  no  less  blindly  rejecting 
their  instruction  in  order  to  create  our  own  god  from 
the  nature  around  us  or  from  the  imagination 
within. 

How  can  the  ideal  be  restored?  Surely,  through 
striving  to  guide  with  greater  wisdom  the  action  of 
will  —  that  compass  of  creative  power  we  have 
polarized  by  the  magnet  of  selfish  desire.  Surely, 
through  striving  to  bring  greater  concentration  of 
will  to  our  thoughts  —  those  revelators  of  Self 
which  we  have  allowed  only  to  mirror  the  changing 
unreality  of  the  world. 

Now  the  root  of  will  is  desire,  implanted  in  the 
heart  as  sensation,  where  left  without  guidance  it 
springs  up  as  a  succession  of  fruitless  weeds.  Sen- 
sation is  not  real,  but  a  continuous  mirage  of  reality, 
a  whirlpool  sucking  in  and  destroying  every  aspira- 
tion and  every  potency  of  human  life.    Hence  it  is 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  AGE  157 

to  the  heart  that  the  masters  first  of  all  speak,  to 
attract  desire  from  the  sensational  to  the  spiritual 
self.  For  sensation  is  the  darkness  of  the  heart  — 
spirit,  or  love,  is  light.  And  when  the  masters  suc- 
ceed with  a  man,  this  light  appears  in  the  heart  like 
a  sun.  From  the  illumination  of  this  inner  sun  the 
mind  is  lighted  by  reflection,  for  the  mind  is  to  the 
heart  as  moon  to  sun.  So  as  the  mind  has  no  light 
of  itself,  wisdom  is  concealed  until  love  or  light  is 
made  to  appear  from  the  purification  of  the  heart. 
On  the  other  hand,  love  is  not  love  until  it  is  also 
understanding  —  truth. 

There  is  no  hidden  wisdom  and  mystery  of  the 
soul  and  of  the  universe  but  it  becomes  manifest 
even  to  uneducated  men,  once  desire  is  detached 
from  sensation,  and  wdll  is  confirmed  in  the  real 
self  of  spirit.  Once  a  man  desires  life  eternal 
rather  than  life  physical  or  material,  he  inherits  of 
his  own  right  a  wisdom  transcending  all  the  theories 
of  the  schools.  Realizing  that  the  Manifestation 
alone  has  the  true  science  of  life,  and  patiently 
learning  that  science,  a  man  experiences  the  greater 
self  which  is  the  soul,  and  the  greater  universe 
where  the  soul  lives.  To  him  is  revealed  the  eternity 
of  the  soul's  past  existence,  and  the  eternity  it  may 
still  exist.  And  he  knows  why  the  heart,  first  of 
all,  must  be  disciplined  before  knowledge  can  be- 
come truth.  He  learns  also  how  the  heart's  further 
discipline  can  be  changed  from  pain  to  joy.  Gladly 
he  assumes  the  purification  of  the  will  which  he 


158  BAHAI 

finds  essential  to  full  and  enduring  citizenship  in 
that  spiritual  world. 

So  the  end  of  knowledge  is  revealed  as  the  end 
of  love.  But  it  is  so  revealed  only  by  the  masters  — 
whose  Word  conveys  a  creative  power  we  others 
have  lost  or  never  acquired.  Of  ourselves,  and  in 
ourselves,  we  cannot  will  away  sensation  —  for  of 
sensation  are  our  very  wills  composed.  Of  ourselves, 
and  in  ourselves,  we  cannot  think  truth  —  for  truth 
is  the  reflection  of  love.  In  our  bodies  of  personal 
desire  and  material  Imowledge,  faith  perishes,  like 
drv  wood  in  flame. 

But  as  the  masters  are  —  as  the  masters  teach  — 
no  distinction  can  be  made  between  desire,  will, 
knowledge,  truth,  love,  faith.  These  very  distinc- 
tions record  our  captivity  —  they  do  not  obtain 
where  the  fleshly  veil  has  been  rent  asunder  and 
reality  becomes  manifest.  So  we  learn  by  what 
bounty  it  is  —  as  we  receive  from  the  masters  the 
great  Message  —  that  "God  is  not  mocked"  by  the 
claims  of  churches  which  have  lost  truth,  nor  by  the 
claims  of  scientists  who  have  lost  love.  For  the 
angel  whose  flaming  sword  bars  the  Garden  to  un- 
worthy intruders  is  this  immutable  law:  Ye  cannot 
love  until  ye  know,  and  ye  cannot  know  until  ye 

love. 

Now  pure  hearts  and  seeing  minds  are  ever  con- 
scious of  this  providential  decree.  Again  and  again 
they  turn  back  to  one  or  other  of  the  Manifesta- 
tions in  order  to  learn  how  to  step  across  the  gulf 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  AGE  159 

which  the  world  has  dug  between  love  and  knowl- 
edge, truth  and  will.  A  consuming  ardor  drives 
them  on  to  experience  within  themselves  the  illumi- 
nation, the  certitude,  experienced  by  many  like 
themselves  at  times  when  any  of  the  Manifestations 
walked  among  mankind.  They  feel  instinctively 
that  with  the  Manifestation,  and  with  the  JNIani- 
f  estation  alone,  lies  the  secret  of  immortality  —  yea, 
even  the  secrets  of  true  science  —  which  is  the 
right  and  privilege  of  the  awakened  soul.  IMind 
and  heart  they  long  to  enter  the  serene  universal 
fellowship  of  those  men  who,  receiving  the  INIessage, 
stand  forth  through  every  age  in  the  real  nature 
of  God-created  mankind. 

For  you  who  desire,  however  dimly  and  occasion- 
ally, to  find  a  true  purpose  for  your  existence  — 
and  with  that  purpose  a  way  of  fulfillment  —  the 
Bahai  IMessage  comes  as  a  right  you  should 
never  relinquish,  and  a  privilege  you  can  never 
outgrow. 

"W^at  is  the  Bahai  Message?  The  Bahai  Message 
is  the  message  of  all  the  masters,  for  it  is  delivered 
to  us  by  the  master  of  all  the  masters  who  have  gone 
before.  From  him  even  the  masters  came,  and  to 
him  they  returned.  For  him  they  labored  —  pre- 
paring in  mysterious  ways  all  things  that  all  things 
might  be  ready  to  welcome  his  Day.  The  utmost 
that  any  previous  master  gave  was  the  love  which 
is  his  recognition,  and  the  knowledge  which  is 
capacity  to  be  taught  by  him.    Amid  the  falling  of 


160  BAHAI 

kingdoms,  he  is  King.  Amid  the  wars  of  nations, 
he  is  Unity.  Amid  the  confusion  of  sciences,  he  is 
Truth.  Amid  the  darkness  of  religions,  he  is  the 
Glory  of  God. 

So  the  words  that  follow  are  to  be  pondered  in 
the  deepest  chambers  of  the  heart,  until  light  come, 
the  Light  which  is  Life.  Do  not  hasten  through 
them,  for  it  is  personal  desire  that  stumbles,  and 
it  is  acquired  knowledge  that  blinds.  Be  certain 
ever  that  their  purpose  is  to  resurrect  the  dead  soul 
—  their  authority  encircles  both  East  and  West  — 
their  power  is  bringing  in  the  true  civilization 
throughout  the  world. 

(From  the  Words  of  Baha'o'llah.) 

Whosoever  wisheth,  let  him  advance,  and  whO' 
soever  wisheth,  let  him  deny;  verily  God  is  inde^ 
pendent  of  him  and  of  that  which  he  may  see  and 
witness. 

God,  singly  and  alone,  abideth  in  His  Place 
which  is  Holy  above  space  and  time,  mention  and 
utterance,  sign,  description  and  definition,  height 
and  depth. 

God  hath  been  and  is  everlastingly  hidden  in  His 
Own  Essence  and  will  be  eternally  concealed  from 
eyes  and  sight  in  His  Identity.  Nay,  there  hath 
not  ever  been  nor  will  be  any  connection  or  relation 
between  the  created  beings  and  His  word.  There- 
fore God  caused  brilliant  Essences  of  Sanctity  to 
appear  from  the  holy  worlds  of  the  Spirit,  in  human 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  AGE  161 

bodies,  walking  among  mankind ;  in  accordance  with 
His  abundant  mercy.  These  Mirrors  of  Sanctity 
fully  express  that  Sun  of  Existence  and  Essence 
of  Desire.  Their  knowledge  expresses  His  knowl- 
edge, their  power  His  power,  their  dominion  His 
dominion,  their  beauty  His  beauty,  and  their  mani- 
festation His  Manifestation.  Therefore  whosoever 
is  favored  by  these  shining  and  glorious  lights  and 
hath  attained  to  these  luminous,  radiant  Suns  of 
Truth  during  every  Manifestation,  hath  attained 
the  Meeting  of  God,  and  entered  the  city  of  eternal 
life.  This  station  is  assigned  only  to  His  Prophets 
and  Holy  Ones,  because  no  greater  and  mightier 
than  they  have  appeared  in  the  realm  of  existence. 
Consequently,  by  meeting  these  Holy  Lights,  the 
"Meeting  of  God"  is  attained;  through  their 
Knowledge,  the  Knowledge  of  God,  and  by  their 
Countenance  the  Countenance  of  God.  This  Meet- 
ing can  never  be  realized  by  any  except  in  the 
Resurrection  Day,  which  is  the  Self  of  God  arisen 
in  His  Universal  Manifestation. 

O  God!  This  is  a  Day  the  Light  of  which  Thou 
hast  sanctified  above  the  sun  and  its  effulgence.  I 
testify  that  this  Day  is  illumined  by  the  Light  of 
Thy  Countenance  and  by  the  effulgence  of  the 
dawning  Lights  of  Thy  Manifestation. 

O  Thou,  my  God,  and  the  Beloved  of  my  heart! 
With  the  name  of  this  Day  Thou  hast  adorned  Thy 
Tablet,  which  is  known  only  to  Thee.  Thou  hast 
called  it  "The  Day  of  God."   Nothing  is  to  be  seen 


162  BAHAI 

therein  hut  Thy  Supreme  Self,  and  naught  is  to 
be  remembered  save  Thy  sweetest  Name. 

The  Day  of  the  Return  to  God  hath  come ;  arise 
from  your  seats,  and  praise  and  glorify  your  Lord, 
the  Omiscient,  the  Wise.  He  who  findeth  Life  in 
this  Day  shall  never  die,  and  he  who  dieth  in  this 
Day,  shall  never  find  Life. 

This  is  the  meaning  of  that  "resurrection"  re- 
corded in  all  the  Books,  and  which  Day  hath  been 
announced  to  all.  Consider,  is  there  any  day  to  be 
imagined  greater,  mightier  and  more  excellent  than 
this  Day,  that  man  should  turn  away  from  it  and 
deprive  himself  of  its  bounties,  pouring  like  the 
spring  rain  from  the  presence  of  the  Merciful? 

O  my  brother,  understand  then  the  meaning  of 
resurrection,  and  purify  thine  ears  from  the  say- 
ings of  rejected  people.  Shouldst  thou  step  a  little 
way  into  the  worlds  of  Severance,  thou  wilt  testify 
that  no  day  greater  than  this  Day,  and  no  resurrec- 
tion mightier  than  this  Resurrection  can  be  imag- 
ined, and  that  one  deed  in  this  Day  is  equivalent 
to  deeds  performed  during  a  hundred  thousand 
years. 

The  Pillar  of  God  is  being  erected  and  hath  be- 
come manifest  by  His  providence  and  command. 
The  time  of  former  things  is  past  and  a  new  time 
has  been  produced,  and  all  things  are  made  new 
by  the  desire  of  God.  But  only  a  new  eye  can  per- 
ceive and  a  new  mind  can  comprehend  this  Station. 
The  Beginning  and  the  End  bore  allusion  to  One 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  AGE  163 

Blessed  Word,  and  that  hath  come  and  is  manifest. 
That  Word  is  the  Soul  of  the  Divine  Books  and 
Epistles,  which  hath  forever  been  and  will  be  for- 
vermore.  That  Word  is  the  key  to  the  Most  Great 
Divine  Treasure  and  to  the  Supreme  Hidden  ]Mys- 
tery  which  hath  ever  been  concealed  behind  the  veil 
of  preservation.  That  Word  is  the  same  Alpha 
and  Omega  prophesied  of  by  John.  Verily  He  is 
the  First  and  the  Last,  the  Manifest  and  the 
Hidden. 

Although  the  purpose  of  learning  is  the  attain- 
ment and  knowledge  of  this  station,  yet  all  are 
occupied  with  outward  learnings  and  desist  from 
them  not  even  for  a  moment;  closing  their  eyes  to 
the  essence  of  Knowledge  and  the  knowable.  It 
seems  as  if  they  had  not  drunk  one  drop  from  the 
ocean  of  Divine  Knowledge  nor  attained  a  sprink- 
ling of  the  cloud  of  the  Merciful  Bounty.  But  We 
have  consumed  the  greatest  veil,  with  the  saying: 
"Knowledge  is  the  greatest  veil." 

But  O  my  brother,  when  a  seeker  intends  to  turn 
the  step  of  search  and  journeying  into  the  path  of 
the  Knowledge  of  the  King  of  Pre-existence,  he 
must  first  cleanse  and  purify  his  heart  —  which  is 
the  place  of  the  appearance  and  emanation  of  the 
splendor  of  the  hidden  mysteries  of  Divinity,  and 
he  must  cleanse  and  refine  his  breast  —  which  is 
the  throne  for  the  accession  and  establishment  of 
the  love  of  the  Eternal  Beloved  —  from  the 
gloomy  dusts  of  acquired  learning  and  from  the 


164  BAHAI 

allusions  of  satanic  appearances.  He  must  like- 
wise sanctify  his  heart  from  attachment  to  water 
and  clay  —  in  such  manner  that  no  trace  of  love  or 
hatred  may  remain  in  the  heart,  lest  that  love  may 
cause  him  to  incline  toward  a  direction  without 
guide,  or  that  hatred  prevent  him  from  the  direc- 
tion of  reality.  He  should  at  all  times  trust  in 
God,  and  turn  away  from  the  creatures ;  be  severed 
and  detached  from  the  world  of  dust  and  united 
with  the  Lord  of  Lords. 

When  the  lamp  of  search,  effort,  longing,  fervor, 
love,  rapture,  attraction  and  devotion  is  enkindled 
in  the  heart,  and  the  breeze  of  love  blows  forth  from 
the  direction  of  Unity,  the  darkness  of  error,  doubt 
and  uncertainty  will  be  dispelled  and  the  lights  of 
Knowledge  and  Assurance  will  encompass  all  the 
pillars  of  existence.  Then  the  ideal  Herald  will 
dawn  as  the  true  morn  from  the  Divine  City,  with 
spiritual  glad  tidings,  and  awaken  the  heart,  soul 
and  spirit  from  the  sleep  of  negligence,  with  the 
trumpet  of  Knowledge.  Then  the  favors  and  con- 
firmations of  the  eternal  Holy  Spirit  will  impart 
such  a  new  life  that  one  will  find  himself  the  pos- 
sessor of  a  new  eye,  a  new  ear,  a  new  heart,  and  a 
new  mind,  and  will  direct  his  attention  to  the  clear, 
universal  signs  and  to  the  hidden  individual  secrets. 
With  the  new  eye  of  God  he  will  see  a  door  open  in 
every  atom  for  attainment  to  the  stations  of  positive 
Knowledge,  certain  Truth,  and  evident  Light ;  and 
will  perceive  in  all  things  the  mysteries  of  the 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  AGE  165 

splendor  of  Oneness  and  the  traces  of  the  Mani- 
festation of  Eternity. 

What  shall  we  mention  of  the  signs,  tokens,  ap- 
pearances and  splendors  ordained  in  that  Divine 
City,  by  the  command  of  the  King  of  Names  and 
Attributes!  The  mystery  of  the  fire  of  Moses  is 
revealed  in  its  wonderful  tulips,  and  the  breath  of 
the  Holy  Spirit  of  Jesus  emanates  from  its  frag- 
rances of  holiness.  It  bestows  wealth  without  gold 
and  grants  immortality  without  death.  Those  who 
earnestly  endeavor  in  the  way  of  God,  after  sever- 
ance from  all  else,  will  become  so  attached  to  that 
City  that  they  will  not  abandon  it  for  an  instant. 
This  City  is  the  Revelation  of  God,  renewed  every 
one  thousand  years,  more  or  less.  For  instance,  in 
the  age  of  Moses,  it  was  the  Pentatuch ;  in  the  time 
of  Jesus,  the  Gospel;  in  the  day  of  Mohamet  the 
Messenger  of  God,  the  Koran;  and  in  the  Day  of 
Him  whom  God  shall  send  forth.  His  Book,  which 
is  the  return  of  all  the  books  and  their  Guardian. 

Consider  how  great  is  the  value  and  how  para- 
mount the  importance  of  the  Revelations  in  which 
God  hath  completed  His  perfect  argument,  con- 
summate proof,  dominant  power  and  penetrating 
will.  To  the  people  they  are  everlasting  proof, 
fixed  argument  and  shining  light  from  the  pres- 
ence of  that  Ideal  King.  No  excellence  equals 
them  and  nothing  precedes  them.  They  are  the 
firm  thread,  the  strong  rope,  the  most  secure  handle 
and   the   inextineruishable   liffht.     Through   them 


166  BAHAI 

flows  the  river  of  the  Divine  Knowledge,  and  bursts 
the  fire  of  the  consummate  Wisdom  of  the  Eternal. 
This  is  a  fire  from  which  two  effects  proceed  at  the 
same  time:  it  creates  the  heat  of  love  within  the 
people  of  faith,  and  produces  the  cold  of  heedless- 
ness within  the  people  of  hatred.  The  proof  of 
the  sun  is  its  light  which  shines  forth  and  encom- 
passes the  world;  and  the  argument  of  the  shower 
is  its  bounty  which  renews  the  world  with  a  fresh 
mantle.  Yea!  The  blind  realize  no  effect  in  the 
sun  but  heat,  and  a  barren  soil  Imoweth  no  bounty 
from  the  vernal  mercy. 

Dost  thou  think  thy  body  a  small  thing  when 
within  it  is  enclosed  the  universe? 

Cleanse  the  people  with  the  water  of  the  inner 
significances  which  We  have  deposited  in  the  signs. 
By  My  Life,  it  is  indeed  the  Water  of  Life  which 
the  Merciful  One  hath  sent  down  from  the  Heaven 
of  Grace  for  the  life  of  the  people  of  the  world! 

I  testify  that  verily  there  is  no  God  save  He !  and 
He  who  hath  come  is  verily  the  Hidden  ISIystery, 
the  Concealed  Secret,  the  INIost  Great  Book  for  the 
nations,  and  the  Heaven  of  Beneficence  to  the 
world.  He  is  the  Mighty  Sign  among  mankind,  and 
the  Dawning  Place  of  the  Highest  Attributes  in 
the  world  of  emanation.  Through  Him  hath  ap- 
peared that  which  was  concealed  from  all  eternity 
and  was  hidden  from  men  of  discernment.  Verily, 
He  is  the  One  w^xose  Manifestation  was  announced 
by  the  Books  of  God  in  former  and  latter  times. 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  AGE  167 

Whosoever  acknowledges  Him,  His  signs  and  His 
evidences  hath  verily  acknowledged  that  which  the 
Tongue  of  Grandeur  hath  uttered  before  the  crea- 
tion of  heaven  and  earth,  and  before  the  appearance 
of  the  Kingdom  of  Names.  Through  Him  the  sea 
of  knowledge  hath  moved  among  mankind,  and 
the  running  water  of  Wisdom  hath  flowed  from 
God,  the  King  of  Days.  Joy  unto  him  who,  in 
this  Day,  casts  away  that  which  is  possessed  by 
the  people,  and  holds  fast  to  that  which  is  com- 
manded on  the  part  of  God,  the  King  of  Names 
and  the  Creator. 

This  w^orld  is  a  show  without  reality,  and  is  a 
non-existence  adorned  in  the  form  of  existence. 
Do  not  attach  your  hearts  thereto.  Do  not  sever 
yourselves  from  the  Creator,  and  be  not  of  those 
who  are  heedless ! 

Seeking  to  know  your  own  selves,  which  is  identi- 
cal with  knowing  Myself,  you  will  become  independ- 
ent of  all  save  Me,  and  you  will  see  the  Ocean  of  My 
Providence  and  the  Deep  of  My  Beneficence  in 
yourselves  with  the  outw^ard  and  inward  eye  as 
manifest  and  clear  as  the  sun  shining  from  the 
Name  of  Abha.  All  things  are  a  proof  of  your 
existence,  if  ye  emerge  from  the  gloomy  dust  of 
non-existence.  Be  not  grieved  at  the  hardships  of 
these  numbered  days;  for  every  destruction  is  fol- 
lowed by  a  construction,  and  a  Paradise  of  Best  is 
concealed  in  every  hardship. 

Consider  the  people,  their  states  and  conditions! 


168  BAHAI 

They  have  been  anxiously  awaiting,  days  and 
nights,  for  the  One  whom  they  were  promised  in 
the  Book  of  God;  but  when  the  exact  time  had 
come,  and  the  banner  of  the  Appearance  grew 
manifest,  they  turned  away  from  God,  the  Mighty, 
the  Exalted,  But  we  announce  to  thee  the  good 
news  of  the  appearance  of  God,  of  His  Dominion, 
Might  and  Potency,  that  thou  mayest  rejoice  and 
be  of  the  thankful.  Beware  not  to  let  the  affairs 
of  men  trouble  thee,  nor  the  illusions  of  those  who 
have  rejected,  as  a  falsehood  to  frighten  thee,  the 
belief  of  the  Origin  and  Return.  Thou  art  from 
God,  and  unto  God  shalt  thou  return ! 

O  Son  of  Spirit!  I  have  created  thee  rich.  Why 
dost  thou  make  thyself  poor?  Noble  have  I  made 
thee.  Why  dost  thou  degrade  thyself?  Of  the 
essence  of  Knowledge  have  I  manifested  thee. 
Why  sear  chest  for  another  than  Me?  From  the 
clay  of  Love  I  have  kneaded  thee.  Why  seekest 
thou  another?  Turn  thy  sight  unto  thyself,  that 
thou  mayest  find  Me  standing  within  thee.  Power- 
ful, Mighty  and  Supreme. 

Oh  ye  people  of  the  world!  The  virtue  of  this 
Most  Great  INIanif  estation  is  that  We  have  removed 
from  the  Book  whatever  was  the  cause  of  differ- 
ence, corruption  and  discord,  and  recorded  therein 
that  which  leads  to  unity,  harmony  and  agreement. 
God  manifested  Himself  to  teach  the  people  the 
truth,  sincerity,  religion,  faith,  submission,  recon- 
ciliation, compassion,  courtesy,  piety;  and  to  teach 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  AGE  169 

them  how  to  adorn  themselves  with  the  garments 
of  good  qualities  and  holy  deeds. 

Be  a  lamp  in  darlaiess,  a  comforter  in  troubles, 
a  sea  to  the  thirsty,  a  refuge  to  the  afflicted,  a  helper, 
an  assistant  and  a  succor  to  the  oppressed.  In 
actions  and  deeds  be  virtuous  and  pious.  To  the 
stranger  be  a  home;  to  the  sick  a  remedy;  to  him 
who  asks  for  help  a  stronghold;  to  the  blind  be 
sight;  to  him  who  goes  astray  a  pathway;  to  the 
face  of  truth,  beauty;  to  the  temple  of  faithfulness 
an  embroidered  garment ;  to  the  house  of  characters 
and  manners  a  throne;  to  the  body  of  the  world  a 
spirit;  to  the  hosts  of  justice  a  banner;  to  the 
horizon  of  good  a  light;  to  the  fertile  and  rich 
ground,  dew;  to  the  sea  of  science  an  ark;  to  the 
heaven  of  generosity  a  star;  to  the  head  of  wisdom 
a  diadem;  to  the  forehead  of  time  a  white  light; 
and  to  the  tree  of  humility,  fruitfulness. 

This  is  that  matter  which  shall  never  change. 
Know  that  in  every  age  and  dispensation  all  divine 
ordinances  are  changed,  according  to  the  require- 
ments of  the  time,  except  the  law  of  Love  which, 
like  unto  a  fountain,  flows  always  and  is  never  over- 
taken by  change. 

Render  God  victorious  by  wisdom.  Glory  be 
upon  the  people  of  Glory! 

(From  the  Words  of  Abdul  Baha,) 

O  Lord,  Thou  hast  said  in  Thy  manifest  Booh: 
"God  does  not  change  that  which  a  people  have. 


170  BAHAI 

until  they  change  that  which  is  within  themselves. 
When  men  forgot  God,  He  made  them  to  forget 
their  own  reality/' 

All  the  Teachings  which  have  been  given  dur- 
ing past  days  are  to  be  found  in  the  Revelation  of 
Baha'o'llah,  but  in  addition  to  these  this  Revelation 
has  certain  new  Teachings  which  are  not  to  be  found 
in  any  of  the  religious  books  of  the  past. 

The  oneness  of  the  world  of  humanity  is  a  Teach- 
ing of  Baha'o'llah,  for  Baha'o'llah  addresses  Him- 
self to  mankind,  saying:  "Ye  are  all  the  leaves  of 
one  tree  and  the  drops  of  one  ocean."  That  is,  the 
world  of  human  existence  is  no  other  than  one  tree, 
and  the  nations  or  peoples  are  like  unto  different 
branches  thereof.  Thus  Baha'o'llah  presented  the 
fact  of  the  oneness  of  the  world  of  humanity,  while 
in  all  the  past  religious  books  humanity  has  been 
divided  into  two  parts,  one  part  looked  upon  as 
belonging  to  the  faithful,  the  other  part  as  belong- 
ing to  the  irreligious  and  infidel ;  the  first  part  con- 
signed to  the  Mercy  of  their  Creator,  the  second 
part  considered  as  objects  of  the  Creator's  Wrath. 

But  His  Holiness  Baha'o'llah  proclaimed  the 
Oneness  of  the  world  of  humanity,  and  this  Teach- 
ing is  unique  to  the  Teachings  of  Baha'o'llah,  for 
He  submerged  all  mankind  in  the  sea  of  Divine 
Generosity.  At  most,  some  of  the  people  are 
asleep  —  they  need  to  be  awakened.  Some  are 
ill  —  they  need  to  be  healed.  Some  are  children  — 
they  need  to  be  trained. 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  AGE  171 

A  second  Teaching  newly  revealed  by  Baha'o'- 
llah  is  this:  the  injunction  to  investigate  the 
Truth  —  that  is,  men  are  commanded  not  to  follow 
blindly  the  ways  of  their  ancestors.  Nay,  each 
must  see  with  his  own  eyes,  hear  with  his  own  ears, 
investigate  the  Truth  for  himself  that  he  may  at- 
tain the  TiTith  by  himself. 

A  third  Teaching  of  Baha'o'llah  which  is  new  for 
this  Day;  that  the  foundation  of  all  the  religions 
of  God  is  one  and  the  same  foundation,  and  that 
Oneness  is  the  Truth,  and  the  Truth  is  One,  and 
cannot  be  made  subject  to  division  and  plurality. 

The  fourth  Teaching  of  Baha'o'llah  special  to 
this  Day  is  that  Religion  must  be  the  cause  of  unity, 
harmony  and  accord  among  men.  If  religion  be  the 
cause  of  inharmony,  or  leads  men  to  separate  them- 
selves each  from  the  other,  creating  conflict  be- 
tween them  —  then  Baha'o'llah  declares  that  irre- 
ligion  is  better  than  Religion. 

A  fifth  Teaching  of  Baha'o'llah  is  new  in  this 
Day:  that  Religion  must  be  in  accord  with  science 
and  reason.  If  a  religion  is  not  in  conformity  with 
science  and  reason  —  then  it  is  superstition. 

The  sixth  new  Teaching  of  Baha'o'llah  is  the 
equality  between  men  and  women.  All  past  Re- 
ligions have  established  men  above  women. 

The  seventh  new  Teaching  of  Baha'o'llah  is  that 
prejudice  and  fanaticism  —  be  it  religious,  sec- 
tarian, sectional,  denominational  or  patriotic  —  is 
destructive  of  the  foundation  of  human  solidarity; 


172  BAHAI 

wherefore  men  should  release  themselves  from  such 
bonds  in  order  that  the  oneness  of  the  world  of 
humanity  may  become  manifest. 

The  eighth  of  His  Teachings  is  Universal  Peace ; 
that  all  men  and  nations  should  make  peace;  that 
there  shall  be  a  Universal  Peace  amongst  govern- 
ments, Universal  Peace  amongst  Religions,  Uni- 
versal Peace  amongst  races. 

The  ninth  of  these  special  Teachings  is  that  all 
mankind  —  men  and  women  everywhere  —  should 
acquire  secular  and  spiritual  knowledge,  and  that 
this  education  is  one  of  the  necessities  of  Religion. 

The  tenth  Teaching  concerns  the  solution  of  the 
economic  question ;  for  no  religious  books  of  the  past 
Prophets  speak  of  the  economic  question,  while  this 
problem  has  been  thoroughly  solved  in  the  Teach- 
ings of  Baha'o'llah. 

The  eleventh  is  the  organization  called  the  House 
of  Justice,  which  is  endowed  with  a  political  as  well 
as  spiritual  function,  and  embodies  both  functions, 
and  is  protected  by  the  preserving  Power  of 
Baha'o'llah  Himself.  A  Universal  or  World 
House  of  Justice  shall  be  established.  That  which 
it  orders  shall  be  the  truth  in  explaining  the  com- 
mands of  Baha'o'llah,  and  that  which  the  House  of 
Justice  ordains  concerning  the  commands  of 
Baha'o'llah  shall  be  observed  by  all. 

But  as  to  the  most  characteristic  and  specific 
Teaching  which  belongs  to  the  Revelation  of 
Baha'o'llah,  which  is  new  and  not  given  by  any  of 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  AGE  173 

the  Prophets  of  the  past:  it  is  the  Teaching  regard- 
ing the  Center  of  the  Covenant.  To  guard  against 
all  manner  of  differences,  Baha'o'llah  entered  into 
a  Covenant  with  all  the  people  of  the  world,  indi- 
cating the  Person  of  the  Interpreter  of  His  Teach- 
ings.   Be  ye  cognizant  of  this! 

The  world  had,  through  rotten,  outdated  and 
blind  imitations  of  truth,  become  like  unto  a  dark 
night.  The  foundations  of  the  Teachings  of  God 
had  been  totally  forgotten.  People  had  adliered  to 
the  shell  and  neglected  the  kernel.  The  nations, 
like  wornout  garments,  had  fallen  into  pitiful 
decay. 

In  this  intense  darkness  the  light  of  the  Teach- 
ings of  Baha'o'llah  appeared  and  adorned  the  body 
of  the  world  with  a  new  robe.  This  new  robe  is 
the  Divine  Principles.  A  new  cycle  dawned  with 
Baha'o'llah;  creation  was  renewed;  the  world  of 
humanity  received  a  new  spirit;  the  season  of 
autumn  passed  away  and  the  life-giving  springtime 
was  come.  Everything  was  renewed.  Sciences 
were  reborn,  thoughts  remodeled,  manners  and 
habits  changed,  industry  revolutionized,  inventions 
multiplied. 

All  these  renovations  originate  in  the  renewal  of 
the  splendid  graces  of  the  Lord  of  the  Kingdom 
through  which  the  universe  was  inspired.  There- 
fore the  essential  matter  is  to  release  people  entirely 
from  traditional  thoughts,  so  that  their  minds  may 
be   entirely   concentrated   in    the   new   teachings. 


174,  BAHAI 

The  teachings  of  Baha'o'llah  constitute  the  spirit 
of  the  age  and  the  light  of  this  century. 

Ye  should  strive  with  heart  and  soul  so  that  those 
who  are  negligent  may  become  cognizant,  those 
who  are  asleep  may  become  awakened,  those  who 
are  ignorant  may  obtain  wisdom,  those  who  are 
blind  may  obtain  sight,  those  who  are  deaf  may  re- 
ceive hearing,  and  those  who  are  dead  may  be  re- 
vived. Ye  should  exhibit  such  strength  of  stead- 
fastness as  to  astonish  the  world.  The  heavenly 
confirmations  are  with  you  in  service  to  the  Cause 
of  God. 

The  Teachings  of  Baha'o'llah,  like  unto  Spirit, 
shall  penetrate  the  dead  body  of  the  world,  and 
like  unto  an  artery  shall  beat  through  the  heart  of 
the  five  continents 


"O  concourse  of  creation!  O  people,  construct 
homes  or  liouses,  in  the  most  beautiful  fashion  pos- 
sible, in  every  city  and  every  land.  In  the  Name 
of  the  Lord  of  Religion,  adorn  them  with  that 
which  beseemeth  them,  not  with  pictures  or  paint- 
ings. Then  commemorate  the  Lord,  the  Merciful, 
the  Clement,  in  spirit  and  fragrance.  Verily,  by 
His  mention,  by  this  commemoration,  the  breasts 
shall  be  dilated,  the  eyes  illumined,  and  hearts 
gladdened,  and  thus  shall  you  pray  the  Orient  of 
Praises  in  the  MashreJwl-Azkar/' —  Baha'o'llah. 


The  Bahai  Temple 


*'When  these  institutions  —  college,  hospital,  hospice,  estab- 
lishments for  the  incurables,  the  university  for  the  study  of 
the  higher  sciences  and  giving  post-graduate  courses,  and 
other  philanthropic  buildings  —  are  constructed,  its  doors  will 
be  open  to  all  the  nations  and  to  all  religions.  There  will  be 
drawn  absolutely  no  line  of  demarcation.  Its  charities  will 
be  dispensed  irrespective  of  color  and  race.  Its  gates  will 
be  flung  open  to  mankind,  with  prejudice  toward  none,  love 
for  all;  the  central  building  will  be  devoted  to  the  purpose 
of  prayer  and  worship.  Thus  for  the  first  time  religion  will 
become  harmonized  with  science  and  science  will  be  the 
handmaid  of  religion,  both  shotvering  their  material  and 
spiritual  gifts  on  all  humanity.  In  this  way  the  people  will 
be  lifted  out  of  the  quagmires  of  slothfulness  and  bigotries, 
.  .  .  When  the  foundation  of  the  Mashrekol-Azkar  is  laid  in 
America,  and  that  Divine  Edifice  is  completed,  a  most  wonder- 
ful  and  thrilling  motion  will  appear  in  the  world  of  existence. 
The  Mashrehol-Azhar  will  become  the  center  around  which 
all  these  universal  Bahai  activities  will  be  clustered.  From 
that  point  of  light,  the  spirit  of  teaching,  spreading  the  Cause 
of  God  and  promoting  the  Teachings  of  God  will  permeate 
to  all  parts  of  the  world."  —  Abdul  Baha. 

The  progress  of  modern  civilization  may  be  de- 
fined as  the  gradual  drawing  away  of  all  our  social 
institutions  from  their  once  organic  unity  with  the 
Church.  Thus  education  and  scientific  activities 
have  become  separate,  and  thus  medicine  and  hos- 
pital treatment  have  become  separate.  First  were 
separated  the  functions  of  Church  and  State,  and 

176 


The   Bahai   Temple 

Designed  by  Louis  Bourgeois  and  Dedicated  to  the  Ideal  of 
World  Unity  and  Peace 


THE  BAHAI  TEMPLE  177 

from  this  fundamental  sex^aration  all  other  separa- 
tions have  logically  and  inevitably  followed. 

This  progress  took  place  because  in  the  State, 
and  in  the  lesser  institutions  which  make  up  modern 
society,  a  seed  of  development  was  latent  which 
the  Church  could  not  fructify  —  which  the  Church 
rather  tended  to  resist.  Science  could  not  advance, 
for  example,  until  the  scientist  was  able  to  approach 
his  special  field  of  investigation  in  absolute  mental 
freedom  —  in  freedom  to  derive  laws  from  the 
data  investigated  rather  than  imjposed  upon  it  by  a 
priori  assumptions. 

Born  into  a  society  thus  separated  as  to  its  differ- 
ent functions  and  institutions,  we  can  with  difficulty 
realize  a  society  which  contains  all  these  functions 
and  institutions  in  a  state  of  unity  and  organic 
inter-relation. 

Yet  it  is  obvious  enough  that  modern  society  is 
weakened  at  the  very  roots  of  its  existence  by  this 
separation  of  science  and  religion,  education  and 
religion,  hygiene  and  religion.  Our  religions 
fail  of  their  purpose  because  they  conflict 
with  facts  and  principles  thoroughly  established 
by  scientific  proofs;  and  our  science  fails  in 
its  application  to  regenerate  the  w^orld's  life 
because  behind  it  stands  no  irresistible  driving 
force  of  faith  and  love.  Thus  science  creates  in- 
struments of  destruction  just  as  willingly  as  it 
creates  instruments  of  well  being,  because  the 
philosophic  realization  that  war  is  no  longer  even 


178  BAHAI 

materially  effective  is  a  realization  we  keep  in  a 
separate  compartment  of  our  minds. 

Now  the  power  behind  the  Bahai  Movement  is 
that  it  restores  this  organic  unity  between  all  the 
various  social  functions,  activities  and  institutions. 
But  the  Bahai  Movement  restores  it  upon  an  abso- 
lutely new  basis  —  a  basis  in  which  religion  harmon- 
izes in  every  detail  with  science,  and  science  in  turn 
derives  its  purpose  from  the  spiritual  realization  of 
the  oneness  of  humanity  in  the  cosmic  plan  of  God. 

The  re-unification  of  science  and  religion  —  in- 
volving a  re-unification  of  the  inherent  purposes  of 
state,  industry,  education,  etc. —  is  the  unique 
quality  of  the  present  day.  And  what  is  called  the 
"Bahai  Temple"  symbolizes  this  unique  quality  or 
character  of  the  age. 

But  this  Temple  is  more  than  an  abstract  symbol, 
even  though  a  true  and  faithful  reflection  of  the 
spirit  of  the  age.  It  is  a  concretion  of  that  spirit  — 
an  organ  by  which  that  spirit  is  enabled  to  contact 
and  hence  influence  social  life  at  all  points.  It  is 
the  body  of  the  Cause  of  God,  the  material  Baha'o'- 
llah  and  Abdul  Baha  visibly  and  invisibly  causing 
the  social  organization  to  progress.  It  is  the  first 
nucleus  of  the  Divine  Civilization,  the  foetal  point 
around  which  that  Civilization  will  grow  to  its  full 
world-stature. 

The  spiritually  minded  person  w^ho  desires  a  true 
index  to  the  progress  of  Reality  in  this  age,  may 
well  adopt  the  Bahai  Temple  as  that  index.    For 


THE  BAHAI  TEMPLE  179 

this  Temple  will  not  and  cannot  be  constructed 
merely  by  financial  contributions.  It  will  come 
into  being  materially  step  by  step  according  as  the 
new  cosmic  Reality  is  felt  in  the  minds  and  hearts 
of  men.  Already  the  Bahai  Temple  has  this  dis- 
tinction: contributions  have  been  made  to  it  by 
representatives  of  a  greater  number  of  races,  creeds, 
classes  and  nationalities  than  have  ever  united  to 
further  any  other  plan.  Its  appeal  triumphs  over 
every  false  distinction  and  division  imposed  upon 
mankind  by  the  limitations  of  the  past. 

Inasmuch  as  the  Bahai  Temple  will  inevitably 
be  compared  with  other  Temples  or  churches,  past 
and  present,  its  unique  elements  can  best  be  de- 
scribed by  contrasting  them  wdth  the  characteristics 
shared  by  other  religious  edifices. 

There  are  four  basic  principles  of  difference 
which  point  the  necessity  for  erecting  such  a  Tem- 
ple at  the  present  time. 

First  let  us  consider  the  powerful  movement 
going  on  to  accomplish  religious  unity.  The  main- 
spring of  this  movement  toward  unity  is  the  grow- 
ing realization  that  spiritual  truth  is,  and  must 
ever  be,  universal  in  its  apx)lications.  That  is,  if  the 
spiritual  life  of  mankind  is  to  have  a  firm  founda- 
tion in  this  new  era  of  knowledge,  it  must  clearly 
reflect  the  one  eternal  Source  rather  than  the  acci- 
dental, ever-changing  and  manifold  differences  in 
the  world's  physical  existence.  To-day,  religion 
can  no  longer  serve  to  endorse  national,  racial,  class 


180  BAHAI 

or  theological  distinctions,  since  these  distinctions 
have  become  a  positive  danger  to  mankind.  The 
■essence  of  love,  which  is  the  only  convincing  proof 
of  any  religion,  alone  can  enable  us  to  rise  above 
momentary  political  and  economic  influences  and 
assume  the  station  of  obedience  to  the  Divine  Prin- 
ciples. But  historical  reasons,  the  powder  of  associa- 
tion —  the  momentum  of  social  custom  and  the  self- 
preservative  instinct  inherent  in  materialistic  or- 
ganizations as  in  animal  bodies  —  unhappily  pre- 
vents any  existing  church  from  serving  as  the 
nucleus  of  unity,  the  sign  of  universality  and  the 
evidence  of  the  oneness  of  mankind. 

Therefore  the  Bahai  Temple  now  comes  into 
being,  unprejudiced  for  or  against  any  existing 
group,  free  from  historical  limitations,  and  from 
its  very  foundation  consecrated  to  the  ideal  of  unity. 
And  what  is  unity  but  the  very  triumph  and  vindi- 
cation of  spiritual  love?  Wlien  the  Bahai  Temple 
is  completed,  we  shall  have  a  holy  place  where  mem- 
bers of  every  race,  creed  and  class  can  gather  in 
worship  to  the  one  God.  This  physical  facility  of 
unity  is  vitally  important  at  the  present  time,  since 
the  only  thing  that  actually  prevents  the  world 
from  attaining  unity  is  the  predominant  influence 
of  institutions  committed  to  a  particular,  a  local, 
and  a  group  purpose  rather  than  to  a  universal  pur- 
pose. The  conviction  of  each  Bahai  is  that  this 
Temple,  when  completed,  will  so  manifest  the 
power  and  inspirations  arising  from  unprejudiced 


THE  BAHAI  TEMPLE  181 

universal  worship,  that  the  world's  consciousness 
will  never  again  be  able  to  return  to  any  form  of 
division  in  the  expression  of  the  soul's  life.  That 
which  is  not  for  all,  to-day  can  never  be  of  benefit 
to  a  single  one.  Consequently  the  Bahai  Temple 
now  being  erected  in  Chicago  w^ill  be  followed  by 
others  throughout  this  country  and  Eurojie. 

The  second  principle  exemplified  by  the  Bahai 
Temple  and  not  a  part  of  other  religious  edifices 
is  that  here  the  spiritual  activity  of  man  is  not  sepa- 
rated from  his  other  activities,  but,  on  the  contrary, 
is  placed  at  the  center  of  all  as  the  inspiration 
and  guide  of  all.  According  to  the  Bahai  Revela- 
tion, the  principle  of  unity  in  the  world's  collective 
life  can  only  emanate  as  the  result  of  unity  within 
consciousness  itself.  That  is,  all  forms  of  social 
activity  such  as  art,  science,  education,  healing,  etc., 
are  regarded  as  having  a  spiritual  significance. 
Society  is  weakened  at  its  foundations  by  the  divi- 
sions existing  between  art,  science,  education,  gov- 
ernment, economics  as  the  result  of  the  inner  divi- 
sion of  each  of  these  from  religion  —  from  God. 
As  the  soul  is  the  life  of  the  body,  communicating 
the  sustaining  powers  of  the  universe  to  mind  and 
limbs,  so  in  this  Revelation  the  Temple  manifests 
once  more  the  lost  relationship  between  religion, 
science,  government,  art,  economics  and  other  social 
functions.  The  view  of  the  Bahai  Tem^Dle  illus- 
trated in  newspapers  and  magazines  shows  only  the 
central  edifice  —  the  place  of  worship  —  the  Holy 


182  BAHAI 

of  Holies.  But  when  the  Bahai  Temple  is  com- 
pleted, each  of  its  nine  sides  will  face  a  separate 
structure  devoted  to  some  great  social  function  such 
as  the  study  of  sciences  and  arts,  healing,  the  care 
of  the  poor  and  orphans,  etc. 

For  to-day,  after  ages  of  separation,  we  stand 
at  the  threshold  of  the  union  of  science  and  religion. 
To  realize  the  organic  nature  of  that  union,  we  have 
only  to  perceive  consciousness  as  a  twofold  instru- 
ment adapted  for  making  effective  contacts  with 
the  great,  all-surrounding  universe, —  a  receiving 
station,  as  it  were,  for  the  spiritual  vibrations  which 
"pervade  the  universe" —  and  an  instrument,  on  the 
other  hand,  adapted  to  registering  its  own  will  upon 
the  universe  and  mankind.  Obviously,  if  conscious- 
ness makes  no  effort  to  be  receptive  to  God,  the 
will  it  registers  must  be  an  evil  will.  On  the  other 
hand,  a  consciousness  might  experience  the  reality 
of  love,  yet  possess  very  inadequate  facilities  for 
expressing  this  reality  for  mankind. 

By  the  "equality  of  men  and  w^omen  in  this  day" 
(one  of  the  great  principles  of  Baha'o'llah)  we  have 
the  perfect  symbol  in  the  visible  world  of  the  union 
of  science  and  religion  in  the  invisible  world  of 
consciousness.  Each  sex  objectifies  one  aspect  of 
mind  itself;  man  representing  the  positive  and 
women  the  receptive  aspect.  Hitherto,  religious 
philosophy  has  been  made  obscure  by  the  use  of 
many  terms  to  signify  consciousness  —  as,  for  ex- 
ample, "mind,"  "soul,"  "heart,"  "spirit."  In  reality. 


THE  BAHAI  TEMPLE  183 

as  Baha'o'llah  has  written,  these  are  but  the  several 
aspects  of  the  one  faculty.  When  consciousness  is 
turned  in  one  direction,  it  is  "mind;'  when  turned 
in  another  direction,  it  is  *'heart;'  and  "soul"  and 
"spirit"  are  but  lower  and  higher  levels  of  spiritual 
reality  tapped  by  consciousness  in  its  receptive 
capacity. 

Therefore,  until  the  consciousness  of  mankind 
receives,  and  grows  aware  of,  and  is  molded  by,  the 
purest  forces  of  spirit,  it  will  express  in  its  individ- 
ual and  collective  relationships  the  life  not  of  man, 
but  of  animal.  By  keeping  this  dual  aspect  of  con- 
sciousness clearly  in  mind,  we  can  rid  ourselves  of 
all  superstition,  and  discriminate  perfectly  between 
that  which  is  merely  intellectual  (or  merely  psy- 
chic) ,  and  that  which  is  spiritual,  from  God.  There 
can  be  no  order,  no  progress  in  the  world  of  human- 
ity to-day  without  equality  between  men  and 
women.  And  this  obvious  condition  is  but  the 
projection  into  visibility  of  the  universal  readjust- 
ment taking  place  in  the  world  of  consciousness 
"behind  the  veils." 

As  for  the  third  principle  making  the  Bahai 
Temple  different  from  other  religious  edifices. 

Consider  carefully  the  evolution  of  all  religions 
from  the  time  of  their  Revelation  into  later  ages. 
No  Revelation  hitherto  has  included  the  establish- 
ment of  a  Temple,  and  all  the  conditions  entering 
into  the  use  of  a  Temple;  but  throughout  the  world 
to-day,  all  churches  uniformly  derive  from  historical 


184  BAHAI 

facts  arising  later  than,  and  outside  of,  the  Mani- 
festation's own  creative  Word.  Nowhere  in  the 
world  can  people  enter  a  Temple  and  say:  "This 
Temple  is  the  Temple  cf  Christ,  and  its  services 
are  of  His  Revelation;"  or,  "This  Temple  is  the 
Temple  of  Moses  (or  Buddha,  or  Mohamet) ,  and 
His  spirit  inspired  all  things  therein."  Rather  have 
all  churches  developed  later  in  point  of  time  and 
lower  in  point  of  spiritual  purity  than  the  Revela- 
tions they  proclaim.  So  much  is  this  the  case  that 
in  all  religions,  groups  of  people  from  time  to  time 
have  protested  that  their  Revelation  was  even  mis- 
interpreted by  Temples  bearing  its  name,  and  have 
themselves  erected  a  new  Temple  more  in  keeping 
with  their  conception  of  the  INIessiah's  purpose  and 
method.  Aside  from  this  obvious  fact,  there  is  a  far 
more  important  influence  inherent  in  every  church 
which  does  not  reflect  purely  and  entirely  the  pur- 
pose and  method  of  Divine  Revelation.  This  in- 
fluence derives  from  the  fact  that  ritual,  ceremony 
and  sacrament,  while  apparently  intended  to  sym- 
bolize the  spiritual  ISIysteries,  have  as  a  matter  of 
fact,  come  to  be  substitutes  for  them.  The  life  of  a 
Messiah  is  a  perfect  guide  for  the  people;  but  the 
value  of  this  life  is  that  it  should  be  re-lived,  re- 
experienced  in  the  deepest  soul,  and  not  merely 
beheld  as  a  spectacle  outside  the  soul,  which  creates 
certain  effects  upon  the  psychic  and  demoniac 
nature  miscalled  "religion." 

But  the  Bahai  Temple  is  part  of  the  Revelation 


THE  BAHAI  TEMPLE  185 

of  Baha'o'llah.  It  arises  from  the  source  of  the  new, 
universal  principles.  It  embodies  those  principles. 
It  serves  those  principles.  It  is  protected  by  those 
principles.  The  Bahai  Temple  is  raised  forever 
above  the  danger  of  innovations  on  the  part  of  any 
individual  or  group,  for  it  is  a  distinctive  and  com- 
pelling feature  of  the  Bahai  Revelation  that  Baha'- 
o'llah  forbids  the  existence  of  any  official  clergy, 
paid  officials,  or  separate  class,  groups  or  organiza- 
tion of  any  kind.  The  Bahai  Temple  and  the  Bahai 
principles  alike  are  committed  to  the  keeping  of  all 
mankind  in  that  new  state  of  unity  these  principles 
will  ere  long  bring  about.  The  essence  of  the  Bahai 
Movement  is  spiritual  democracy:  authority  pro- 
ceeding from  the  mass  by  constitutional  election 
only.  Significant  are  the  words  of  Baha'o'llah: 
"The  religious  doctors  of  every  age  have  been  the 
means  of  preventing  the  people  from  the  shore  of 
the  Sea  of  Oneness,  for  the  reins  of  the  people  were 
in  their  control.  .  .  .  Thus  every  Prophet  hath 
quaffed  the  cup  of  martyrdom  and  soared  to  the 
loftiest  horizon  of  Might,  through  the  sentence  and 
sanction  of  the  divines  of  the  age." 

But  there  is  one  more  aspect  of  the  Bahai  Temple 
making  it  unlike  other  religious  edifices.  This  as- 
pect is  symbolized  by  its  architectural  features  — 
that  astonishingly  creative  form  which  in  itself  is  a 
sign  and  evidence  of  a  new  civilization.  Why  the 
nine  sides,  why  the  three  elevations?  are  questions 
frequently  asked  because  our  age  has  lost  the  re- 


186  BAHAI 

alization  that  form  expresses  force  —  that  bodies 
must,  on  all  planes,  possess  an  organ  for  each  func- 
tion they  are  intended  to  fulfill.  Therefore,  as  the 
Bahai  Temple  is  to  unify  people  of  all  religions, 
it  has  nine  entrances  corresponding  with  the  nine 
human  principles,  each  principle  manifested  by  a 
type,  each  type  expressing  itself  through  an  activity 
of  soul,  mind  or  spirit.  "I  have  caused  the  signs 
to  descend  after  nine  conditions."  (Baha'o'llah). 
The  present  division  of  humanity  by  vertical  parti- 
tions —  Christianity,  Buddliism,  Zoroastrianism, 
etc. —  is  artificial ;  the  real  division  being  along 
horizontal  planes.  The  Bahai  Temple  invites  each 
type  (or  plane)  to  enter  into  the  fullest  possible 
co-operation  with  other  types.  Each  is  essential  to 
the  welfare  and  destiny  of  all. 

To  understand  the  marvelous  symbolism  the 
Bahai  Temple  contains,  both  in  its  form  and  its 
decoration,  one  must  conceive  of  this  structure  as  a 
projection  from  the  spiritual  world  of  oneness,  down 
through  all  the  planes  of  matter  and  time;  being  a 
cross  section  of  all,  and  consequently  a  pattern  or 
tracing  of  their  combined  significance.  In  brief, 
this  Temple  testifies  eloquently  to  this  supreme  fact : 
that  man  dwells  not  in  a  universe  of  inert  matter, 
but  inhabits  the  Holy  Spirit;  a  universe  of  con- 
sciousness, of  purpose,  of  progressive  evolution. 
The  Bahai  Temple  is  as  a  mirror  wherein  the  Spirit 
perfectly  reflects.  It  reveals  a  mystery  of  myster- 
ies—  the  inner  reality  of  that  Supreme  Temple, 


THE  BAHAI  TEMPLE  187 

the  spiritual  body  of  humanity.  In  all  cycles  has 
a  corner  of  the  veil  been  removed.  In  all  times  have 
the  mystics  and  divine  philosophers  meditated  upon 
that  which  physical  mind  and  heart  can  never 
know.  But  now  at  the  bottom  of  the  arc  of  descent, 
the  Bahai  Temple  visibly  records  the  spiritual  in- 
volution and  evolution  of  man:  a  precious  chapter 
in  the  Book  of  Revelation.  Christ  said:  "The 
Kingdom  of  Heaven  is  within  you."  Bahr/o'llah 
says:  "Dost  thou  deem  thy  body  a  slight  thing, 
when  within  thee  is  enfolded  the  universe?"  In 
this  age,  Abdul  Baha  declares:  "Baha'o'llah  has 
breathed  the  Holy  Spirit  into  the  dead  body  of  the 
world." 

An  article  in  the  Architectural  Record  of  June, 
1920,  described  the  Temple,  in  part,  as  follows: 

"Above  the  closed  top  rise  other  beams  of  the 
dome  itself  like  hands  clasped  in  prayer,  so  that 
the  dome  gives  the  feeling  of  ascension  and  aspira- 
tion found  previously  in  the  Gothic  towers  alone. 

"In  the  geometric  forms  of  the  ornamentation 
covering  the  columns  and  surrounding  the  windows 
and  doors  of  the  Temple,  one  deciphers  all  the  re- 
ligious symbols  of  the  world.  Here  are  the  swastika 
cross,  the  circle,  the  triangle,  the  double  triangle  or 
six  pointed  star  (or  Solomon's  seal,  the  magic  sym- 
bol of  necromancers  of  old)  ;  bt  more  than  this, 
the  noble  symbol  of  the  spiritual  Orb,  or  Sun  behind 
the  Saviour  of  Mankind  (the  Sun  refers  to  Baha'o- 
'Uah) ;  the  five  pointed  star,  representing  the  man 


188  BAHAI 

saviour  —  Christ  or  Buddlia  or  Mohammed ;  the 
Greek  Cross,  the  Roman  or  Christian  Cross;  and 
supreme  above  all,  the  wonderful  nine  pointed  star, 
figured  in  the  structure  of  the  Temple  itself,  and 
appearing  again  and  again  in  its  ornamentation,  as 
significant  of  the  Spiritual  Glory  in  the  world  to- 
day. 

"The  numbers  9  and  19  recur  again  and  again  in 
the  structure  of  the  Temple,  illustrating  its  basic 
principle  of  Unity  —  9  being  the  number  of  per- 
fection, containing  in  itself  the  completion  of  each 
number  cycle,  and  19  representing  the  Union  of 
God  and  man,  as  manifested  in  life,  civilization  and 
all  things." 

Would  that  all  whose  purity  of  heart,  whose  clear- 
ness of  vision,  makes  them  share  ardently  in  the 
struggle  for  human  progress,  for  unity,  for  solidar- 
ity, for  education,  for  peace  — would  that  such 
people  might  be  inspired  to  join  with  that  few  — 
that  too,  too  few  —  now  laboring  with  all  their 
power  to  raise  up  a  Temple  to  the  glory  of  God 
and  the  brotherhood  of  Man! 


PART  THREE 


TWO  BAHAI  DOCUMENTS 


"The  root  of  all  knowledge  is  the  knowledge  of  God,  and 
this  is  impossible  of  attainment  save  through  His  manifesta- 
tion/* —  Baha'o'llah, 


THE  ILLUMINATI 

An  Address  by  Abdul  Baha  at  the  Friends*  Meeting 
House,  St.  Martin's  Lane,  London,  on  Sunday,  January 
12th,  1913. 

About  one  thousand  years  ago  a  Society  was 
formed  in  Persia  called  the  Society  of  the  Friends, 
who  gathered  together  for  silent  communion  with 
the  Almighty. 

They  divided  Divine  Philosophy  into  two  parts: 
one  part  the  loiowledge  of  which  can  be  acquired 
through  lectures  and  study  in  schools,  and  the  sec- 
ond part  that  sought  by  the  Illuminati,  or  followers 
of  the  Inner  Light.  The  schools  of  this  Philosophy 
were  held  in  silence.  Meditating,  and  turning  their 
faces  to  the  Source  of  Light,  the  mysteries  of  the 
Kingdom  were  reflected  from  that  central  Light 
into  their  hearts.  All  the  divine  problems  were 
solved  by  this  power  of  illumination. 

This  Society  of  Friends  increased  greatly  in 
Persia,  and  their  meetings  take  place  even  at  the 
present  time.  Many  books  and  epistles  were  writ- 
ten by  their  leaders.  When  the  Friends  assemble 
in  their  Meeting  House,  they  sit  in  silence  and  con- 
template. Their  leader  proposes  a  certain  problem, 
saying  to  the  assembly  "This  is  the  problem  on 

191 


192  BAHAI 

which  to  meditate."  Then,  freeing  their  minds  from 
everything  else,  they  sit  quietly  and  reflect,  and  be- 
fore long  the  answer  is  revealed  to  them.  Many 
abstruse  divine  questions  are  solved  by  means  of  this 
illumination. 

Some  of  the  great  questions  unfolding  from  the 
rays  of  the  Sun  of  Reality  upon  the  mind  of  man 
are :  the  problem  of  the  reality  of  the  spirit  of  man ; 
of  the  origin  of  the  spirit;  of  its  birth  from  this 
world  into  the  world  of  God;  the  question  of  the 
inner  life  of  the  spirit  and  its  fate  after  ascension 
from  the  body. 

They  also  meditate  upon  the  scientific  questions 
of  the  day,  and  these  are  likewise  solved. 

These  people,  who  are  called  ^'Followers  of  the 
Inner  Light,"  attain  to  a  superlative  degree  of 
power,  and  are  entirely  freed  from  blind  dogmas 
and  imitations.  Men  rely  on  the  statements  of  these 
people :  by  themselves,  within  themselves,  they  solve 
all  mysteries. 

If  they  find  a  solution  through  the  assistance  of 
the  Inner  Light,  they  accept  it,  and  afterwards  de- 
clare it;  otherwise  they  would  consider  it  a  matter 
of  blind  imitation.  They  go  so  far  as  to  reflect  upon 
the  essential  nature  of  the  Divinity,  of  the  divine 
Revelation,  of  the  Manifestation  of  the  Deity  in 
this  world.  All  the  divine  and  scientific  questions 
are  solved  by  them  through  the  power  of  the  spirit. 

Baha'o'llah  says  there  is  a  sign  from  God  in  every 
phenomenon.    The  sign  of  the  intellect  is  contem- 


TWO  BAHAI  DOCUMENTS  193 

plation,  and  the  sign  of  contemplation  is  silence, 
because  it  is  impossible  for  a  man  to  do  two  things 
at  once  —  he  cannot  both  speak  and  meditate. 

It  is  an  axiomatic  fact  that  while  you  meditate 
you  are  speaking  with  your  own  spirit.  In  that 
state  of  mind  you  put  certain  questions  to  your 
spirit  and  the  spirit  answers:  the  light  breaks  forth 
and  reality  is  revealed. 

You  cannot  apply  the  name  *'man"  to  any  being 
devoid  of  this  faculty  of  meditation ;  without  it  man 
is  a  mere  animal,  lower  than  the  beasts. 

Through  the  faculty  of  meditation  man  attains 
to  eternal  life;  through  it  he  receives  the  breath  of 
the  Holy  Spirit  —  the  bestowals  of  the  Spirit  are 
given  during  reflection  and  meditation. 

The  spirit  of  man  is  itself  informed  and  strength- 
ened during  meditation ;  through  it  affairs  of  which 
man  knew  nothing  are  unfolded  before  his  view. 
Through  it  he  receives  divine  inspiration,  and 
through  it  he  partakes  of  heavenly  food. 

Meditation  is  the  key  for  opening  the  doors  of 
mysteries.  In  that  state  man  abstracts  himself;  in 
that  state  man  withdraws  himself  from  all  outside 
objects;  in  that  subjective  condition  he  is  immersed 
in  the  ocean  of  spiritual  life  and  can  unfold  the 
secrets  of  things-in-themselves.  To  illustrate  this, 
think  of  man  as  endowed  with  two  kinds  of  sight: 
when  the  power  of  insight  is  being  used  the  power 
of  outward  vision  does  not  function. 

This  faculty  of  meditation  frees  man  from  the 


194  BAHAI 

animal  nature,  discerns  the  reality  of  things,  puts 
man  in  touch  with  God. 

This  faculty  brings  forth  the  sciences  and  arts 
from  the  invisible  plane.  Through  the  meditative 
faculty  inventions  are  made  possible,  colossal  under- 
takings are  carried  out.  Through  it  governments 
can  run  smoothly.  Through  this  faculty  man  enters 
into  the  very  Kingdom  of  God. 

Nevertheless  some  thoughts  are  useless  to  man: 
they  are  like  waves  moving  in  the  sea  without  re- 
sult. But  if  the  faculty  of  meditation  is  bathed  in 
the  Inner  Light  and  characterized  with  divine  at- 
tributes, the  results  will  be  confirmed. 

The  meditative  faculty  is  akin  to  the  mirror;  if 
you  put  it  before  earthly  objects,  it  will  reflect  the 
earthly  objects.  Therefore  if  the  spirit  of  man  is 
contemplating  earthly  objects  he  will  become  in- 
formed of  these. 

But  if  you  turn  the  mirror  of  your  spirit  heaven- 
wards, the  heavenly  constellations  and  the  rays  of 
the  Sun  of  Reality  will  be  reflected  in  your  hearts, 
and  the  virtues  of  the  Kingdom  will  be  obtained. 

Therefore  let  us  keep  this  faculty  rightly  directed 
—  turning  it  to  the  divine  Sun  and  not  to  earthly 
objects  —  so  that  we  may  comprehend  the  allegories 
of  the  Bibles,  the  mysteries  of  the  Spirit,  and  dis- 
cover the  hidden  secrets  of  the  Kingdom. 

May  we  indeed  become  mirrors  reflecting  the 
divine  realities,  and  may  we  become  so  pure  as  to 
reflect  the  stars  of  heaven! 


TWO  BAHAI  DOCUMENTS  195 

Tablet    to     the     Persian     Bahais. 
(Revealed  during  the  World  War.) 

Commune  to  be  read  by  the  friends  of  God  in 
Persia. 

He  Is  God! 

Thou  seest  me,  O  my  God,  on  this  lofty  moun- 
tain ;  the  sublime  and  supreme  threshold ;  the  shelter 
of  every  great  one  and  the  refuge  of  all  the  glorious 
and  noble. 

Verily,  the  youths  whose  hearts  were  burning 
with  the  fire  of  the  love  of  God  in  the  past  ages 
have  taken  shelter  therein  —  the  meeting  place  of 
the  prophets,  the  refuge  of  his  holiness  Elijah,  the 
shelter  of  Isaiah.  The  spirit  of  God,  Jesus,  the 
Christ  —  upon  Him  be  greeting  and  praise!  — 
passed  over  it,  and  in  the  Supreme  Threshold, 
pressed  by  the  feet  of  the  Lord  of  Hosts. 

O  Lord,  this  is  a  mountain  to  which  Thou  hast 
given  the  name  Carmel  in  the  Torah.  And  Thou 
has  attributed  it  to  Thyself  in  the  innermost  heart 
of  the  tablets  and  scriptures. 

O  Lord,  verily,  I  invoke  Thee  in  this  Supreme 
Threshold,  under  the  wing  of  the  gloomy  nights; 
pray  to  Thee  with  throbbing  heart  and  flowing 
tears,  imploring  Thee,  supplicating  between  Thy 
hands  and  cry,  O  my  Lord,  verily,  the  fire  of  battles 
is  raging  in  the  valleys,  hills  and  streams,  and  the 
fire  of  war  is  burning  even  under  the  seas  and  high 
in  the  air,  in  destruction  and  devastation.     The 


196  BAHAI 

earth  is  enveloped  by  its  own  fires  and  the  seas  are 
encompassed  by  its  storms,  thunderbolts  and  floods. 

O  Lord,  the  souls  are  stifling,  the  death  rattle  is 
in  their  throats,  the  earth  quakes  and  has  become  so 
small  that  even  the  birds  are  frightened  in  their 
nests  and  the  animals  terrified  in  their  lairs  and 
caves. 

We  hear  only  the  sighs  of  the  maidens  and  the 
cries  of  the  orphans,  the  moaning  of  the  mothers, 
and  the  tears  of  the  fathers  because  of  false  reports. 
We  see  only  tears  flowing  from  every  bereaved 
mother  and  the  heart  of  every  father,  bereft  of 
sons,  burning.  Towns  are  being  devastated,  people 
are  perishing,  the  children  are  made  orphans  and 
the  women  are  becoming  widows.  And  this  is  only 
because  of  our  heedlessness  of  Thy  commemoration 
and  our  deprivation  of  Thy  love.  Verily,  we  have 
been  occupied  with  ourselves.  The  intoxication  of 
passion  seized  us;  we  have  taken  the  road  of  heed- 
lessness and  blindness ;  have  abandoned  the  path  of 
guidance  and  have  chosen  the  path  of  obstinacy  and 
forgotten  the  commandments  of  the  ancient  scrip- 
tures. We  have  forsaken  the  exhortations  in  the 
preserved  tablets  and  parchments  —  the  great 
verses. 

O  my  Lord!  O  my  Lord!  I  confess  and  ac- 
knowledge the  sins.  Verily,  every  dark  calamity 
and  every  hard  ordeal  has  surrounded  us  by  our  own 
hands,  in  this  transient  world.  O  Lord,  verily,  the 
minds  are  astounded,  the  souls  are  repelled.    And 


TWO  BAHAI  DOCUMENTS  197 

there  remain  only  darkened  faces,  deaf  ears,  speech- 
less tongues  and  hearts  heedless  of  thy  commemora- 
tion, filled  with  human  passions  and  desires. 

O  Lord,  Thou  hast  said  in  Thy  manifest  book 
and  in  Thy  great  glad  tidings,  with  explicit  state- 
ment, "God  does  not  change  that  which  a  people 
have,  until  they  change  what  is  within  themselves." 
"And  when  they  forgot  God,  He  made  them  for- 
get themselves." 

O  my  Lord,  verily,  the  nations  have  gone  too  deep 
into  the  fields  of  battle  and  struggle.  Nothing  will 
check  this  sweeping  torrent  and  this  grinding  war 
but  Thy  mercy,  which  has  encompassed  that  which 
was  and  is. 

O  Lord,  do  not  deal  with  us  according  to  our 
offenses,  and  forgive  our  sins  and  trespasses.  Im- 
perfections are  the  characteristic  of  everything  pos- 
sible of  creation  in  the  arena  of  Thy  world.  And 
to  Thy  forgiveness  and  pardon  Thou  hast  accus- 
tomed every  one  in  existence. 

O  my  Lord,  only  favor  and  mercy  to  every  sinner 
who  has  fallen  into  the  pit  of  degradation  and 
wretchedness,  is  befitting  to  divinity  and  only  by 
the  imperfections  of  servitude  will  the  perfections 
of  divinity  become  manifest.  O  Lord,  verily,  the 
brilliant  rays  of  the  Sun  of  Reality  are  the  remov- 
ers of  the  utter  darkness  and  the  pure  water  cleanses 
the  foulness  and  the  sorrow  of  the  world. 

O  my  Lord,  verily,  the  sins  are  bubbling  foam 
and  a  full  ocean  is  Thy  mercy.    Trespasses  are  bit- 


198  BAHAI 

ter  trees  and  Thy  pardon  is  a  fire  whose  flame  is 
intense. 

O  my  Lord,  remove  the  veil,  scatter  this  dense 
cloud  on  the  horizon,  extinguish  these  fires,  subdue 
this  flood,  in  order  to  stanch  the  bloodshed,  as  com- 
passion to  the  widows  and  mercy  to  the  orphans, 
that  these  hurricanes  may  cease,  the  thunderbolts  be 
extinguished,  the  torrents  quelled,  the  land  become 
visible,  the  souls  find  composure,  and  the  breasts  be 
dilated.  And  we  will  thank  Thee  for  Thy  abundant 
favor,  O  Thou  dear!    O  Thou  forgiver! 

O  my  Lord,  verily,  thou  hast  clearly  stated  in 
the  tablets  and  scriptures,  that,  had  the  ordinances 
fallen  on  solid  rock,  rivers  would  have  gushed  forth 
and  it  had  crumbled  to  pieces  from  fear  of  the 
Dear,  the  Powerful.  But  the  hearts  are  harder  than 
the  rocks.  And  the  souls  are  in  heedlessness  and 
pride.  The  people  of  heedlessness  do  not  profit  by 
the  verses  and  exhortations. 

O  my  Lord,  verily.  Thy  exhortations  are  cele- 
brated and  have  been  spread  broadcast,  in  the  east 
and  the  west  of  the  earth.  Thou  hast  called  all  to 
love  and  harmony  and  to  forsake  discord  in  all 
regions,  so  that  the  east  of  the  earth  may  embrace 
the  west ;  the  people  of  the  desert  may  embrace  the 
people  of  the  city;  their  scattered  members  become 
reunited  and  the  lost  ones  be  gathered  together; 
that  the  darkness  of  the  earth  may  pass  away  and 
its  light  shine  forth.  But  the  eyes  and  the  inner 
sight  have  become  blind,  the  ears  deaf,  the  hearts 


TWO  BAHAI  DOCUMENTS  199 

hardened  and  the  susceptibilities  like  rocks  and 
stones.  The  minds  and  intellects  are  being  con- 
fused. Souls  have  forgotten  the  explicit  teachings 
of  the  Book,  wherein  Thou  hast  warned  them  of 
punishment.  Thus  they  have  merited  severe  pun- 
ishment and  deserved  the  sentence  of  torment. 

O  Lord,  forgive  our  sins  and  stumbling.  Make 
us  not  an  example  for  the  possessors  of  insight. 
Guide  us  to  the  straight  path,  so  that  we  may  awake 
from  the  slumber  of  passion  and  be  saved  from 
heedlessness  and  blindness.  Deliver  us,  O  Lord 
of  Verses,  from  the  abyss  of  passions  and  preserve 
us  from  errors. 

O  my  Lord,  verily,  we  have  forgotten  faithful- 
ness and  are  reveling  in  unfaithfulness.  With  the 
people  of  oppression  and  vice  we  are  associating. 
There  is  no  deliverer  for  us  save  Thee.  There  is 
no  answer  save  Thee.  There  is  no  refuge  save  Thee. 
Verily,  we  have  trusted  in  Thee  and  we  lay  our 
affairs  in  Thy  hands.  Deal  with  us  according  to 
Thy  favor  and  pardon  and  punish  us  not  according 
to  Thy  justice  and  wrath.  Verily,  Thou  art  the 
compassionate.  Verily,  Thou  art  the  pardoner  and, 
verily.  Thou  art  the  forgiver. 

O  my  Lord,  verily,  the  people  of  righteousness 
and  goodness  and  the  communities  of  freedom  m 
every  country  are  turning  to  thee,  at  dusk  and 
dawn  supplicating  between  Thy  hands  during  the 
wing  of  the  night  and  in  the  dew  of  the  morn,  la- 
menting as  a  bereaved  mother  laments  during  the 


200  BAHAI 

grievous  nights,  burning  with  the  fire  of  sorrow, 
yearning  and  separation.  They  are  longing  for 
Thy  meeting  even  with  rending  of  soul,  as  they 
traverse  the  dunes  and  the  hills  and  cross  the  valleys 
and  the  heights.  But  these  wars  that  demolish 
mountains  have  interfered  so  that  news  has  ceased 
and  the  doors  are  closed. 

O  Lord,  comfort  them  in  their  loneliness ;  deliver 
them  from  their  terror  and  guide  them  in  their 
affairs. 

O  my  Lord,  Thou  knowest  my  sighs,  my  cries 
and  my  anguish,  the  burning  pain  because  of  their 
separation ;  my  great  longing  for  their  meeting,  my 
yearning  for  their  love,  my  desire  for  their  re- 
membrance and  my  anxiety  to  see  them.  Day  and 
night  their  remembrance  is  my  treasure  and  my 

roses. 

O  my  Lord,  O  my  Lord,  open  the  doors ;  prepare 
for  us  the  means;  render  the  path  safe  and  pave 
the  way  so  that  the  sincere  ones  may  be  reunited 
in  the  lofty  meetings;  the  attracted  ones  gathered 
together  in  Thy  commemoration  in  the  great  as- 
semblies, to  speak  among  the  people  of  Thy  bestow- 
als, taste  of  the  honeycomb  of  Thy  meeting.  Then 
the  breezes  of  acceptance  will  reach  them  and  they 
will  be  swayed  thereby  as  if  intoxicated  by  wine. 

Verily,  Thou  art  the  Powerful,  the  Dear,  the 
Giver  and,  verily,  Thou  art  the  Generous,  the  Com- 
passionate, the  Chosen  One. 

( Signed )    Abdul  B  aha,  A  hbas. 


CONSTRUCTIVE  READING  LIST 


"Understanding  the  Divine  Words  and  comprehension  of 
the  utterances  of  the  Ideal  Doves  has  no  connection  with  out- 
ward learning,  hut  depends  upon  purity  of  heart,  chastity  of 
soul,  and  freedom  of  spirit..  For  at  the  present  time  there 
are  some  servants  who  have  not  seen  a  single  letter  of  the 
forms  of  learning,  yet  they  are  seated  upon  the  summit  of 
Knowledge,  the  gardens  of  their  hearts  adorned  with  roses 
of  Wisdom  and  tulips  of  Insight,  through  the  cloud  of  the 
Divine  Bounty.  Blessed  are  the  sincere  ones  through  the 
lights  of  the  Great  Day!'*  —  BahaVllah. 


CONSTRUCTIVE  READING  LIST 

The  following  titles  are  of  books  containing  the 
utterances  of  Baha'o'llah  and  Abdul  Baha.  They 
are  those  Chapters  of  the  new  World  Bible  already 
available  for  the  man  and  woman  eager  to  read 
and  know  the  manifest  Word  of  God. 

Inasmuch  as  Abdul  Baha  —  his  life,  his  char- 
acter, his  influence,  his  thoughts  —  is  the  first  and 
greatest  proof  that  Baha'o'llah  w^as  indeed  the  risen 
Sun  of  Truth,  I  list  certain  of  his  books  first.  Ab- 
dul Baha  is  the  one  true  approach  to  perfect  under- 
standing of  Baha'o'llah.  (All  the  works  in  this 
list  can  be  obtained  from  Bahai  Publishing  Society, 
Chicago,  Illinois.) 

Divine  Philosophy.  A  collection  of  Abdul 
Baha's  most  interesting  and  significant  addresses 
while  in  Europe.  This  volume  covers  a  broad  range 
of  topics  in  a  brief  and  convenient  form.  It  is  the 
ideal  introduction  to  the  Bahai  Revelation. 

Abdul  Baha's  Talks  in  Paris,  Abdul  Baha's 
Talks  in  London.  Two  additional  collections  con- 
taining certain  addresses  not  yet  available  in  any 
other  form. 

Some  Answered  Questions.  This  volume  gives 
Abdul  Baha's  own  answers  to  questions  on  religion 

202 


CONSTRUCTIVE  READING  LIST  203 

and  science  and  social  evolution  asked  of  him  from 
what  may  be  called  the  "intelligent  Christian"  point 
of  view.  They  explain  the  prophecies  and  deal 
somewhat  with  the  great  psychological  problems, 
the  nature  of  man,  the  nature  of  God,  etc. 

Tablets  of  Abdul  Baha,  Volumes  1,  2,  and  3. 
Abdul  Baha's  answer  to  many  thousands  of  inquiries 
addressed  to  him  during  the  past  thirty  years  by 
people  throughout  the  world  desiring  his  solution  of 
divers  scientific,  philosophic  and  spiritual  problems. 
An  amazingly  myriad  wisdom,  helpful,  practical, 
and  profound. 

Abdul  Baha's  American  Addresses.  This  ex- 
tensive and  invaluable  work,  soon  to  be  published, 
contains  three  volumes  which  include  Abdul  Baha's 
message  to  every  possible  kind  of  audience  to  be 
gathered  together  in  the  United  States  and  Canada. 
As  the  audiences  represent  every  variety  of  view- 
point, past  experience,  religious,  social  and  scien- 
tific affiliation,  so  the  messages  may  be  accepted  as 
the  Bahai  Message  par  excellence.  It  will  be  no 
long  time  before  these  volumes  are  known  for  what 
they  are  in  reality  —  the  Charter  of  the  Divine 
Civilization:  the  universal  proof  of  God  which  is 
also  the  universal  inspiration  of  man. 

Abdul  Baha's  INIysteriqus  Forces  of  Civili- 
zation. In  this  work,  addressed  to  Persians,  Ab- 
dul Baha  shows  the  relation  between  religion  and 
the  economic  and  political  problems  of  a  nation. 
His  examples  are  necessarily  in  terms  of  conditions 


204.  BAHAI 

existing  in  Persia,  but  the  truths  are  universal  for 
those  who  can  aj^ply  them.  As  ever,  the  language 
is  exquisite  and  magnanimous. 

Baha'o'llah's  Book  of  Ighan.  This  work 
(whose  subtitle  is  The  Book  of  Certitude)  explains 
the  real  significance  of  all  the  Divine  Manifestations 

—  Moses,  Christ,  Mohammet  —  whose  task,  or 
function,  was  fulfilled  by  the  Manifestation  of  El 
Bab.  The  Book  of  Ighan  reveals  the  importance 
of  the  "first  Point"  in  this  Cosmic  Trinity. 

Baha'o'llah's  Surat  Ul  Hykl.  In  this  work, 
Baha'o'llah  reveals  the  significance  of  the  ISIani- 
festation  of  Himself.  "By  God,  This  is  indeed  the 
Beloved  of  the  universe,  but  ye  do  not  understand! 
This  is  the  Beauty  of  God  among  you,  and  His 
Dominion  within  you,  if  ye  are  of  those  who  know! 
This  is  the  Mystery  of  God,  His  Treasure,  the  Com- 
mand of  God,  and  His  Glory,  to  those  who  are  in 
the  Kingdom  of  power  and  creation  —  were  ye  of 
those  who  reason!  This  is  the  One  whose  meeting 
will  be  longed  for  by  all  those  who  dwell  in  the 
everlasting  spiritual  world,  and  who  have  taken  a 
station  for  themselves  in  the  tents  of  EL-ABHA 

—  while  ye  yourselves  are  turned  away  from  His 
Beauty!  .  .  .  And  He  will  send  forth  by  His  Will 
certain  people  who  are  unlaio^\ii  to  anyone  but 
Himself,  the  Protector,  the  Self-existent,  and  pur- 
ify them  from  the  stain  of  surmise  and  passion, 
and  elevate  them  to  the  rank  of  sanctity,  and  by 
them  He  will  cause  to  appear  the  traces  of  the 


CONSTRUCTIVE  READING  LIST  205 

Glory  of  His  Kingdom  on  earth:  thus  was  it  de- 
creed on  the  part  of  God,  the  Mighty,  the  Beloved." 

Baha'o'llah's  Seven  Valleys.  The  essence 
of  the  true  "mental  science"  —  that  is,  a  work  which 
presents  the  mystical  experience  of  self-develop- 
ment, the  attainment  of  Reality  within  the  conscious 
soul.  *'I,  therefore,  mention  unto  thee  holy,  bril- 
liant allusions,  from  the  stations  of  Glory;  so  that 
they  may  attract  thee  unto  the  court  of  holiness, 
nearness  and  beauty,  and  draw  thee  unto  a  state 
wherein  thou  shalt  see  naught  in  existence  but  the 
Countenance  of  His  Highness,  thy  Beloved  One, 
and  shalt  not  behold  the  creatures  (mankind)  ex- 
cept as  in  the  day  wherein  no  one  had  any  mention!" 

Baha'o'llah's  Hidden  Words.  A  series  of 
brief  utterances,  touching  the  moral  and  spiritual 
problems  of  every  type  of  person;  used  by  the 
"friends  of  God"  for  daily  meditation.  "This  is 
that  which  descended  from  the  Source  of  Majesty, 
through  the  tongue  of  Power  and  Strength  upon 
the  prophets  of  the  past.  We  have  taken  its  essences 
and  clothed  them  with  the  garment  of  brevity,  as  a 
favor  to  the  beloved,  that  they  may  fulfill  the  Coven- 
ant of  God;  that  they  may  perform  in  themselves 
that  which  He  has  entrusted  to  them,  and  attain  the 
victory  by  virtue  of  devotion  in  the  land  of  the 
Spirit."  In  this  introduction  of  Baha'o'Uah  to  Hid- 
den Words  we  see,  first:  that  the  Bahai  Teaching 
is  the  sum  total  of  all  Revelations  in  the  past  —  plus 
the  power  to  realize  it  during  the  present  cycle ;  and 


206  BAHAI 

second,  that  every  soul  is  obliged  to  stand  alone 
and  fight  its  own  battle  for  Immortal  Life. 

Book  of  Prayer.  (Revealed  by  Baha'o'llah 
and  Abdul  Baha.)  "This  is  a  Message  which  We 
have  appointed  as  Our  Meeting  for  those  who  ad- 
vance toward  God  in  this  day  in  which  all  countries 
are  changed.  The  one  who  reads  that  which  is  re- 
vealed in  this  Tablet  from  the  direction  of  the 
Throne,  and  doubts  the  reality  of  Meeting  his  Lord; 
verily,  he  is  of  those  who  deny  God,  Who  causeth 
the  mornings  to  break  forth!"  .  .  .  "For  Thou 
art  Powerful  to  do  whatsoever  Thou  wishest,  and 
Thou  art  ever  pervading  the  universe!" 

Tablets  of  Baha'o'llah.  In  this  important 
volume  have  been  gathered  together  six  Tablets  in 
which  Baha'o'llah  lays  down  moral,  economic  and 
political  principles  to  solve  the  world's  social 
problems. 

Three  Tablets  of  Baha'o'llah.  Of  purely 
spiritual  significance  are  these  great  documents: 
Tablet  of  the  Branch,  Will  and  Testament  of 
Baha'o'llah,  and  Message  to  the  Christians. 

The  Divine  Plan.  Under  this  title  has  been 
published  Abdul  Baha's  Tablets  to  the  four  sections 
of  the  United  States,  and  to  Canada,  calling  upon 
the  friends  of  God  to  arise  in  full  spiritual  conscious- 
ness and  labor  day  and  night  to  spread  the  Cause 
throughout  the  American  Continents,  Africa  and 
the  Islands  of  the  sea.  The  spiritual  significance 
of  North  America  is  revealed  as  that  portion  of  the 


CONSTRUCTIVE  READING  LIST  207 

race  which  alone  is  able  to  stem  the  tide  of  disin- 
tegration sweeping  across  the  social  world.  And 
even  upon  North  America,  Abdul  Baha  makes  the 
outcome  dependent  upon  the  rise  of  "the  hosts  of 
God"  —  people  of  a  saintliness  such  as  the  Western 
world  has  not  witnessed  since  the  time  of  the 
Apostles  of  Christ, 

The  Bahai  Proofs.^^  This  book,  translated 
from  the  Persian  of  IMirza  Abul  Fazl,  whom  Abdul 
Baha  has  declared  to  be  the  greatest  Bahai  soul  of 
this  age,  gives  the  lives  of  the  three  Founders  of 
this  Religion,  El  Bab,  Baha'o'llah  and  Abdul  Baha; 
after  which  he  develops  the  four  universal  proofs 
enabling  one  to  distinguish  between  a  Divine  Re- 
ligion and  all  other  so-called  religions. 

Le  Beyan  Arabe  (The  Book  of  the  Bab).  A 
translation  into  French  from  the  Arabic  of  El  Bab, 
by  A.  L.  M.  Nicolas,  of  the  French  Legation  at 
Teheran. 

L'epitre  Au  Fils  Du  Loup.  One  of  Baha'- 
o'llah's  longer  works,  in  which  he  quotes  from  many 
of  his  other  works  —  translated  into  French  by 
M.  Hippolyte  Dreyfus. 

The  Splendor  of  God.  A  volume  included  in 
the  ''Wisdom  of  the  East"  series  published  by  Dent, 
London.     The  editor,  Mr.  Eric  Hammond,  has 


^'  a  forthcoming  work  on  the  Bahai  Revelation,  by  Dr.  Esslemont, 
of  London,  may  be  looked  for  as  containing  a  very  thorough  and 
accurate  presentation.  Dr.  Esslemont  wrote  under  Abdul  Baha's 
personal  supervision,  at  Haifa,  during  the  year  1919. 


208  BAHAI 

written  an  introduction  regarding  the  Bahai  Re- 
ligion, and  the  book  is  composed  of  quotations  from 
Baha'o'llah  and  Abdul  Baha. 

Abbas  Effendi.  His  Life  and  Teachings,  by 
Myron  H.  Phelps.  This  work  is  a  biographical 
study  of  Abdul  Baha,  written  by  a  member  of  the 
New  York  Bar.  His  information  was  gained  first 
hand  in  the  Master's  Household.  Mr.  Phelp's  book 
parallels  the  words  and  the  acts  of  Abdul  Baha  as 
no  other  book  has  done.  It  is  an  invaluable  Bahai 
work. 

The  Bahai  Revelation,  by  Thornton  Chase. 
A  most  significant  book,  a  book  of  great  beauty  and 
power,  the  work  of  the  man  who  is  laiown  as  "the 
first  American  Bahai."  Besides  developing  a  logi- 
cal approach  to  the  Teaching  of  Baha'o'llah  and 
Abdul  Baha,  this  book  contains  many  quotations 
from  their  utterances  not  yet  available  in  print  else- 
where.^^ 

A  Tra^^eler's  Narrative.  Written  to  Illustrate 
the  Episode  of  the  Bab.  In  this  volume,  published 
by  the  University  Press,  Cambridge,  England,  JNIr. 
Edward  G.  Browne,  Lecturer  in  Persian  to  the 
University  of  Cambridge,  has  presented  a  detailed, 
first  hand  account  of  his  researches  into  the  life  and 
influence  of  El  Bab.    This  book  notes  every  refer- 


2T 


Most  highly  to  be  recommended  are  the  series  of  five  booklets, 
published  recently  in  Seattle,  reproducing  nineteen  lectures  on  the 
Bahai  principles  by  Fazel  Mazandarani. 


CONSTRUCTIVE  READING  LIST  209 

ence  the  author  could  find  to  other  books  on  the 
Manifestation  of  the  Bab.  Professor  Browne,  it  is 
interesting  to  record,  is  the  only  European  who 
entered  the  presence  of  Baha'o'llah.  This  meeting 
took  place  on  Wednesday,  April  15th,  1890,  and  is 
thus  described  by  the  author  of  A  Traveler's  Nar- 
rative. "Of  the  culminating  event  of  this  my 
journey  some  few  words  at  least  must  be  said. 
During  the  morning  of  the  day  after  my  installa- 
tion at  Behje  one  of  Baha'o'llah's  younger  sons 
entered  the  room  where  I  was  sitting  and  beckoned 
me  to  follow  him.  I  did  so,  and  was  conducted 
through  passages  and  rooms  at  which  I  scarcely  had 
time  to  glance  to  a  spacious  hall,  paved,  so  far  as 
I  could  remember  ( for  my  mind  was  occupied  with 
other  thoughts)  with  a  mosaic  of  marble.  .  .  . 
Though  I  dimly  suspected  whither  I  was  going  and 
whom  I  was  to  behold  (for  no  distinct  intimation 
had  been  given  to  me) ,  a  second  or  two  elapsed  ere, 
with  a  throb  of  wonder  and  awe,  I  became  definitely 
conscious  that  the  room  was  not  untenanted.  In 
the  corner  where  the  divan  met  the  wall  sat  a  w^ond- 
rous  and  venerable  figure,  crowned  with  a  felt  head- 
dress of  the  kind  called  taj  by  dervishes  (but  of 
unusual  height  and  make) ,  round  the  base  of  which 
was  wound  a  small  white  turban.  The  face  of  him 
on  whom  I  gazed  I  can  never  forget,  though  I  can- 
not describe  it.  Those  piercing  eyes  seemed  to  read 
one's  very  soul;  power  and  authority  sat  on  that 
ample  brow;  while  the  deep  lines  on  the  forehead 


210  BAHAI 

and  face  implied  an  age  which  the  jet-black  hair 
and  beard  flowing  down  in  indistinguishable  luxuri- 
ance almost  to  the  waist  seemed  to  belie.  No  need 
to  ask  in  whose  presence  I  stood,  as  I  bowed  myself 
before  one  who  is  the  object  of  a  devotion  and  love 
which  kings  might  envy  and  emperors  sigh  for  in 
vain! 

"A  mild  dignified  voice  bade  me  be  seated,  and 
then  continued:  Praise  be  to  God  that  thou  hast 
attained !  .  .  .  Thou  hast  come  to  see  a  prisoner  and 
an  exile.  .  .  .  We  desire  but  the  good  of  the  world 
and  the  happiness  of  the  nations ;  yet  they  deem  us 
a  stirrer  up  of  strife  and  sedition  worthy  of  bondage 
and  banishment.  .  .  .  That  all  nations  should  be- 
come one  in  faith  and  all  men  as  brothers ;  that  the 
bonds  of  affection  and  unity  between  the  sons  of 
men  should  be  strengthened;  that  diversity  of  re- 
ligion should  cease,  and  differences  of  race  be  an- 
nulled —  what  harm  is  there  in  this  ?  .  .  .  Yet  so  it 
shall  be;  these  fruitless  strifes,  these  ruinous  wars 
shall  pass  away,  and  the  JNIost  Great  Peace  shall 
come.  .  .  .  Do  not  you  in  Europe  need  this  also? 
Is  not  this  that  which  Christ  foretold?  .  .  .  Yet  do 
we  see  your  kings  and  rulers  lavishing  their  treas- 
ures more  freely  on  means  for  the  destruction  of 
the  human  race  than  on  that  which  would  conduce 
to  the  happiness  of  mankind.  .  .  .  These  strifes 
and  this  bloodshed  and  discord  must  cease,  and 
all  men  be  as  one  kindred  and  one  family.  .  .  . 
Let  not  a  man  glory  in  this,  that  he  loves  his  coun- 


CONSTRUCTIVE  READING  LIST  211 

try;  let  him  rather  glory  in  this,  that  he  loves  his 
kind.  ..." 


By  far  the  greater  portion  of  the  works  of  Baha'o'llah  are  yet 
untranslated  into  English;  and  much  of  that  which  has  already 
been  translated  is  still  circulated  from  friend  to  friend  in  type- 
written or  manifolded  form.  The  colleges,  universities  and  other 
instruments  of  impartial  investigation,  have  not  as  yet  made 
effort  to  collect  the  documentary  and  other  evidences  of  the  Bahai 
Movement  —  analyze  these  in  the  light  of  established  truth  as 
arrived  at  by  the  cooperation  of  their  Historical,  Linguistic,  Philo- 
sophical, Scientific,  Economic  and  Ethical  departments  —  and  pub- 
lish their  unanimous  and  detailed  conclusions  as  a  matter  of  public 
concern.  The  attempts  made  by  a  few  sectarian  missionaries  to 
apprehend  this  world-wide  Cause  have,  so  far,  produced  only  a 
painful  impression  of  bewildered  littleness,  tossing  on  the  ocean  of 
universal  significance. 


212  BAHAl 


"This  Cause  has  become  worldwide.  In  a  short 
space  of  time  it  has  penetrated  throughout  all  re- 
gions, for  it  has  a  magnetic  power  which  attracts 
all  intelligent  men  and  women  towards  its  center. 
If  a  person  becomes  informed  of  the  reality  of  this 
Cause  he  will  believe  in  it,  for  these  teachings  are 
the  spirit  of  this  age, 

"The  Bahai  Movement  imparts  life.  It  is  the 
cause  of  love  and  amity  amongst  mankind.  It 
establishes  communication  between  various  nations 
and  religions.  It  removes  all  antagonisms.  And 
when  this  Cause  is  fully  spread,  warfare  will  be  a 
thing  of  the  past,  universal  peace  will  be  realized, 
the  oneness  of  the  world  of  humanity  will  be  mani- 
fested, and  religion  and  science  will  work  hand  in 
hand.  Then  this  world  will  become  one  family. 
There  will  remain  no  racial  distinctions,  such  as 
French,  English,  American,  Arab,  Turk  or  Persian. 
All  these  races  will  become  one  united  people/' 

—  Abdul  Baha. 


k 


Date  Due 

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J  J  *<(*■"■ 

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Bahai  the  spirit  of  the 


age. 


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Ibrary 


1    1012  00010  3764 


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